A Friend in Need
by ohgodwhatamireading
Summary: The story of Wind Waker based around the actions of Tetra and her closest friend of many years. A young historian who searches for Princess Zelda only to slowly learn that the girl he is looking for and his best friend are in fact one and the same person.
1. A Friendly Visit

At the bottom of the ocean Link scurried out of Hyrule Castle as quickly as he could. He had a mission to complete. He had to restore power to the Master Sword and return peace to the world. Yet as he rushed out of the underwater kingdom he failed to notice another young boy who was waiting in hiding with his own mission to complete. One that he had been waiting years to finally have the chance to.

This other boy appeared to be about Link's age if not slightly older. He had shaggy brown hair with a white button-down shirt and blue trousers. This boy went by the name of Nick. Nick was also an ordinary kid like Link and the princess he was determined to save, but also had his own connections to the events that were unfolding before their eyes.

Ever since he had first learned to read Nick was endlessly fascinated by the legends of old Hyrule. Particularly the stories of the Hero of Time and Princess Zelda. Being from a family of proud historians they would frequently read him the stories and legends that their extensive research had produced and they grew strongly on him before long. Now entering adolescence Nick would spend his free time going over his parents' records to try and find anything that they might have missed. He did this with one goal in mind. To one day track down the descendants of the legendary figures he admired. A feat long since abandoned by his parents and their colleagues under the assumption that they had all been wiped out with the fall of Hyrule, but Nick gripped onto these stories tightly. He was positive that the Royal Family of legend wouldn't die out so easily, and now that he was old enough his parents finally gave him a boat should he want to do his own research.

While his studies were important to him though they weren't the only thing Nick did. He held a decent social life on his home island of Windfall. One person in particular, however, always stood out as his closest friend. She was a young girl who at the time still solely went by the name of Tetra. Now the two had known each other since they were toddlers, but the two really became close as the result of one incident; the death of Tetra's mother. While always tough and hot headed around others this was the first time in her life she actually started to show any real vulnerability. While she did her best to hide her emotions from everybody else Nick was the one to find her sobbing to herself on the pier of Windfall Island, and he ,in a brief moment that she made him swear to take to his grave, became the one to offer her the shoulder she desperately needed to cry on. Afterward Tetra took over control of her mother's pirate crew and set sail on her own with them. However she would always make sure to pay Nick a friendly visit whenever she stopped by the island. Little did Nick suspect though that on one of these visits everything he thought he knew would be completely turned on its head...

-One day earlier-

It was the eeriest night anyone could remember. There was suffocating feel to it. It was as if time itself had come to a halt in this overwhelming storm of despair. Recent events simply weren't sitting well with Nick. He sat in his house looking over some papers he had gathered it was a combination of research on Hyrule and some news reports he had been receiving the past few days on the abduction of girls from their various homes. A few of them had been girls he actually knew and combining his own knowledge with the reports he'd gotten from Quill one thing was for sure. Each victim was a young girl of Hylian descent as evidenced by their distinctively pointed ears. A fact when combined with the stories of monsters popping up in the oddest places, a young boy he spotted running around the island wearing the Hero of Time's clothes, and this now seemingly endless and almost evil night time certainly did not sit well with him in the slightest. From the stories he knew his instincts told him that something huge was going down and it was all he could do to try to figure out what. It was then that his reading was interrupted by a knock on the door. Nick rose from his seat and answered the knock to be greeted by the sight of his long time pal.

"Hey Nick!" Tetra greeted her friend enthusiastically as she entered house.

"Tetra!" Nick replied happily, "My mom and dad are currently out on a research expedition, so please make yourself at home. Just what have you been up to anyway? It's been a while."

"Thanks I will!" she accepted as she took a seat, "It's been absolutely crazy these past few days. I was abducted by this giant bird, I launched some weird kid in green off a catapult into the Forsaken Fortress , and now I just got back from Greatfish Isle and it got totally devastated by some vicious monster."

"Wait... you too!" Nick suddenly exclaimed.

"Me... too?" she questioned him.

"Quill told me all about it. Recently a giant bird has been going around kidnapping girls with pointed ears like you. How did you manage to get away?"

"It dropped me into a forest and then nabbed another girl in my place a few minutes later."

"If it's taking Hylian girls that indiscriminately that means it's probably not just abducting girls but searching for a particular one..." Nick muttered to himself, "Could it be... her?"

"What are you mumbling about?" Tetra interrupted him.

"It's nothing... So why did you end up going to Forsaken Fortress?"

"The abducted girl's brother was determined to save her and that Rito mailman guilted me into helping him out."

"Sounds rough," Nick noted with a laugh.

"It was an interesting way to kill some time though it didn't go that well for him," she answered as she pulled a light blue stone from her pocket, "Speaking of which I need to take care of something,"

Tetra then immediately proceeded to to pull a bright blue stone from out of her pocket. Looking into it Nick could see an image of the kid in the hero's clothes that he had seen earlier but he was much more taken in by the stone itself.

"That stone..." he thought, "Could that be... a Gossip Stone... but those only belong to..."

"That's mighty courageous of you..." Tetra pulled him out of his thoughts by speaking into the stone, "trying to steal treasure from pirates. I suppose I should be shocked... but I'm more amazed that you managed to survive after being tossed out of that tower... From the look on your face, I have to guess you haven't saved your sister yet, huh? You don't give things much thought, do you? You just rush in, never thinking how badly things could go for you. Like just now... The only reason you got what you did was because we left a simple-minded little rat like Niko behind to look after things. No one else would have parted with our treasure so easily. I assure you! And just how do you intend to use those bombs, anyway? Don't tell me you're going after Jabun's treasure, too... Right now, Jabun is hiding in a cave at the back of the island you were born on. But the entrance is blocked by a giant stone doorway. You can't get in without breaking down the door. We're going to relax in town and eat our fill of whatever this town has to offer, but we'll be leaving for Outset first thing in the morning. If you manage to find Jabun tonight, then I guess you win. But if you take too long, we'll come sailing right by you tomorrow morning. And believe me, you didn't get ALL of our bombs. You'd better be quick, kid!"

"U-uh Tetra," Nick stammered, "J-just where did you get that stone?..."

"Oh it's a family heirloom I received from my mother after she... you know..."

"Y-yeah I know," Nick stuttered again.

"No!" he screamed in his head, "It's got to be a coincidence! It has to... Still there's only one way to know sure..."

"Hey Tetra," he worked up the courage to speak out, "This might sound weird to you but are there any... other heirlooms that you received from your family?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh... just curious since we're on the subject... I've never known much about your family and I was just wondering..."

"Well if you insist," she agreed while reaching into her shirt, "I also received this special golden necklace from her too. She specifically told me to guard it with my life."

"Golden... necklace," Nick repeated before freezing in horror as she then presented him with the treasure in question. He felt sick to his stomach at the sight of it. The Hylian ears, the gossip stone, and now this golden necklace that, though broken, still greatly resembled the legendary relic that he had read so much about. Nick's head began to hurt as he tried to wrap his head around the information that was just presented to him.

"This is crazy," Nick reasoned with himself, "Not just crazy but downright impossible. Tetra, my best friend for so many years, to think that she might actually be..."

"Uh Nick..." Tetra waved her hand in front of him to try and get his attention, "Are you feeling alright?"

"Huh?" he mumbled, "Sorry I'm just feeling a bit tired is all."

"Jeez I can't blame you," Tetra responded as she got up and started to look over the papers he had spread out over his desk, "Damn, you really look like you've been overworking yourself with all this stuff."

"Hey it's my hobby," he answered weakly.

"I know," she assured him as she looked through his drawers and took out an ocarina," So why do you have this ocarina in here? I never knew you were into music."

"Ocarinas were very important in the culture of the kingdom I've been studying. It's only natural that I'd learn how to play one."

"My mom actually taught me a thing or two about how to play these things."

"Really? Why don't you show me some of what you know?"

"Well..." she hesitated, "Only because it's you."

She began to blow into it and produce a soothing melody. Nick began to relax to the notes as she played a song that almost seemed familiar to him, but his mind was just too worn out for him to quite put his finger on it. Tetra finished her song and placed the ocarina back on the table as Nick offered her a friendly clap.

"Pretty good playing. Just what song was that anyway?" he asked.

"It was a lullaby my mother would always play for me as a little girl."

"Lullaby..." Nick slowly repeated.

"So have you had any luck finding that princess or whatever you were looking for?" she suddenly inquired

"No luck yet..." he lied, still unsure if he had completely lost his mind in making Tetra his prime suspect.

"Well good luck with that," she encouraged him as she prepared to leave, "My crew and I are leaving first thing in the morning. Some of these girls look like they belong to some really rich families. I think I just might go rescue them from the fortress for a nice, healthy reward. Now you really ought to get yourself a good night's sleep. You look absolutely awful. "

"Yeah. I will. Thanks for stopping by."

"Not a problem Nick," she waved goodbye as she left the house, "See you later."

"See ya..." Nick waved back as he went back to his desk of papers and continued looking them over.

"Lullaby... lullaby..." he subconsciously repeated to himself as he continued his reading. He continued this for a few minutes until his half lidded eyes shot wide open with a stunning realization. Without a moment to lose he began to furiously dig through all of the documents he owned until he finally came upon the piece of paper he was looking for. It was a sheet containing various ancient songs and mystical melodies from old Hyrule. He skimmed through it he found the song he was looking for. He grabbed the ocarina Tetra was just playing and began to reproduce the notes on the sheet as he repeated the song she had just played for him in his head. He finished the quick tune and dropped the paper to the ground in shock.

"They're... the same..." he whispered, "the song she just played for me and the song here... the song of the Royal Family of Hyrule... are one and the same... there can be no mistaking it now... The girl I've been searching for... and the girl who's been my best friend as long as I can remember... are the same person... Tetra... is Princess Zelda!"

Nick wasn't sure whether to scream or cheer or whether to laugh or cry. He considered heading over to the ship and trying to explain his findings to her, but he knew that probably wasn't the best way to handle this. Knowing her she'd probably laugh him off, and who could blame her? Sighing with exhaustion Nick could only head over to his bed and try to get some sleep like she had suggested as impossible as it now seemed.

This was going to be a long night...

To be continued...


	2. Setting Out

That night Nick found his dreams haunted by the same words over and over.

"Tetra is Zelda. Tetra is Zelda."

Visions of the ancient writings and texts he'd spent the day looking over as well as memories of the girl he had always known as Tetra danced in his head.

It still made no sense to him despite what all the evidence pointed to.

"How could this be.?" he questioned himself, "This can't be right? How could she be Princess Zelda? I mean... I've known her for so long... how could this be the first time I've caught any hint of it? Not just that but we trust each other... right? If she were Zelda she certainly would've told me... wait no that's wrong ... If she were Zelda and were trying to hide it there's no way she'd intentionally show a piece of the Triforce to someone as likely to know what it is as I am... That means... if she is Zelda she's not even aware of it herself... Is that possible?... Could the Royal Family of Hyrule have fallen off so far that its members aren't even aware of their own heritage anymore aside from a few traditions and heirlooms?... No... That doesn't matter now.. This is the first real lead I've ever had to the whole truth about Hyrule! I have never been anywhere near this close before, and I have to be ready to pursue this wherever it may take me whether it be to the top of the world or the bottom of the ocean! Yes! This is it! If Tetra is Zelda and isn't aware of it then it's my duty as both a historian and a friend to get all of the knowledge of her heritage and her kingdom that I hold to her!"

And with that final burst of conviction Nick found himself awoken by a sudden knock at his door.

"Who is it?" he called out to the surprise visitor.

"It's me Quill!" the visitor responded, "I have a letter for you Nick! I got it from your parents!"

"Mom and Dad huh?" Nick murmured scratching the back of his head as he answered the door for the postman, "What do they want?"

"I think they really just want to let you know that they're doing well and to keep you up to speed on what they're doing," Quill explained.

"Oh... yeah that's good to hear," Nick noted as he accepted the letter.

"Then I guess I'll be on my way." Quill bid farewell as he prepared to leave.

"Actually do you think you could hold on for a bit?" Nick stopped him.

"Why? Are you interested in sending them a quick reply?"

"Not exactly... Do you have some time to spare today? I have a lot of things that I need to ask of you personally."

"Well the mail load was actually surprisingly light today so I'm actually all done for today. Why do you need to speak to me though?"

"You are aware of the research my family and I often do correct?"

"Yes, you mention it to me from time to time."

"Well given the info you've given me over the past few days and other things I've heard, if you tell me everything you know I believe it will allow me to make significant progress in piecing together the mysteries I am currently working to unravel."

"Alright," Quill agreed, "Sounds interesting. Do you want me to come in so we can talk?"

"Nah," Nick replied, "I was cooped up in here all day yesterday. Just come with me to the pier so I can get some fresh air."

"Sounds fine to me."

The pair headed out to the docks as Nick personally surveyed the bright, blue seas and skys. It was certainly a very pleasant contrast to the seemingly endless darkness of the night before, but either way it still didn't sit well with Nick. There was something unnatural about it and he was going to figure out what. Nick and Quill took a seat on the pier right next to Nick's personal boat which he had docked there in case his research should require him to travel.

"So just what is you need to know from me?" Quill inquired.

"Well to start with," Nick began, "You've already informed me about the way other girls have been kidnapped, but a friend of told me that you were apparently a witness to the most recent one. Just what can you tell me about the abduction you a few days ago."

"Oh yes. You must mean the abduction of Aryll on Outset Island? Who told you about that?"

"A young pirate friend of mine by the name of Tetra. Apparently she was involved in the incident too."

"Indeed she was. She was actually the monster bird's first victim that day. It dropped her in a forest and then grabbed the girl I mentioned before who resembled her."

"Resembled her? In what ways?"

"She had similar hair and ears."

"Ears? I'm guessing you mean to say that they were pointed."

"Yes there were."

"Hmm. Just as I thought."

"I'll never understand you humans. Some of you have pointed ears like that girl and others will have round ears like you. Just what is the point of that?"

"The ears are actually an important key to deciphering these abductions, but next I want to ask about the girl's older brother. He apparently wears green and went with Tetra to save his sister at the Forsaken Fortress with the help of a little persuasion from you."

"That's correct. The boy you're talking about goes by the name of Link. He's just your average, nice, hard working kid. Though I've been catching him going on a few adventures lately."

"Adventures? What kind of adventures?"

"Well just recently he helped us out on Dragon Roost Island immensely!"

"How so?"

"He defeated the monster that had been tormenting the Great Valoo!"

"Valoo... He's the sky spirit that inhabits your island correct?"

"Yes he is."

"Okay and now that you brought that up the next few questions are probably going to seem a bit strange..."

"Like what?"

"For instance was he still wearing the same clothes when you saw him on your island? Comprising of a green tunic and hat?"

"Yes he was."

"And why was he wearing them? Was there any special reason?"

"Huh?"

"Look I know it sounds strange and I don't expect you to know, but on the one in a million chance that you do I simply I have to ask. I promise that it'll lead somewhere if you can."

"Well I actually do. I visit his home island frequently on deliveries and happen to know a thing or two about its culture. You see his island also hold the ancient legends in high regards though not to the extent that you and your family do. It's common tradition on the island for boys to wear the clothes of the legendary hero on their 12th birthday since that's the supposed age of the hero. This is done in the hopes that his courage will be passed onto them."

"Thank you very much for that info Quill. That definitely helps me and allows me to go back to the normal questions. Like for instance asking exactly why he was on your island in the first place. I doubt he came all that way from the Forsaken Fortress just to say hi."

"If I remember correctly he was there seeking our treasured pearl."

"Din's Pearl? It's normally kept on your island as I recall."

"Yes exactly."

"And if I recall correctly he immediately departed for the Forest Haven in hopes of obtaining Farore's Pearl."

"And last night I remember Tetra saying that he was searching for Jabun's treasure which is probably referring to Nayru's Pearl," Nick then began to think to himself, "So to put all of this in perspective now a young boy, the same age as the Hero of Time, came into contact with the girl I now suspect to be Princess Zelda and is now on an adventure to search for the three of the most prominent and guarded relics of ancient Hyrule. Not only that, but this is all coming in the wake of an abduction spree of Hylian girls to Forsaken Fortress, and what appear to be very deliberate attacks on the guardian spirits of these aforementioned pearls. Now let's say that these kidnappings are merely part of a large scale manhunt for Princess Zelda. If that were true and combined with the information I have now it would mean that _he_ is the only one that could possibly be behind all of this. He'd be the only one with both the power and the motivation necessary to do this. It's currently unknown exactly what happened to Hyrule or the Evil King after his return, but with the new Princess and Hero finally emerging after all of these centuries away it's only natural to believe that he would return as well. Yes... all of the pieces are fitting perfectly into place under this theory. Zelda is saved by the hero and proceeds to, though unintentionally, send the hero on his path to fulfill his destiny. It matches the old legends perfectly. If I can just confirm this then the mystery behind these recent events will be solved."

"And one last question," Nick announced, "Does the name "Ganon" mean anything to you?"

"Ah yes it does!" Quill responded, "According to Link and several other rumors that I have heard Ganon is the name of the dark master of the Forsaken Fortress."

"And that's just what I expected to hear."

"Hm?"

"Thank you for your time Quill. My suspicions have now been pretty much confirmed by your answers, and everything makes perfect sense to me now."

"I'm glad to hear that Nick."

Nick then let out a chuckle, "Too bad for Ganon though. Tetra is the worst girl in the world that he could be forced to go after. Rather than just staying in one place all the time waiting to be abducting she bases her lifestyle on moving around from place to place constantly making her nearly impossible to locate on chance which Ganon clearly appears to be basing his search on. Not only that but she's actually been caught once already and managed to escape! Tetra is one of the smartest people I know. There's absolutely no chance of her getting abducted by that bird twice! It appears the Goddesses are on our side again. As long as she doesn't appear at Forsaken Fortress anytime soon this kid Link should have more than enough time to get the power that the pearls promise and put Ganon in his place."

But as he finished this sentence Tetra's words from the previous night suddenly replayed in his head.

"_Some of these girls look like they belong to some really rich families. I think I just might go rescue them from the fortress for a nice, healthy reward._"

"OH CRAP!" Nick immediately exclaimed upon remembering this, "QUILL!"

"Huh?" he asked startled by Nick's sudden outburst as he was preparing to leave, "What's wrong?"

"I just remembered something and it just made our present situation very serious!"

"What is it?"

"It's a lot to explain, but to make a long story short if that pirate girl gets caught by the man at the top of Forsaken Fortress we are all in a lot of trouble, and she is in fact heading towards the fortress as we speak! We must absolutely must stop her from going in there!"

"Is there anything we can do about it?"

"Hmm," Nick pondered for a moment, "If you're really ready to help me out I need you to go back to Dragon Roost island and bring along any help that you can. If I recall correctly Valoo is said to date back to the days of the great kingdom that once stood here. If so then the only thing you should need to tell him is "Ganon has returned." If you say that to him he should understand the rest. The important thing is that you make sure she gets out of there safely if things get ugly."

"And just what will you do if I might ask you that?"

"I'm going to take my boat and go there myself," Nick explained, "There's something extremely important I need to discuss with her personally. Now please get going. There's not a moment to lose here!"

Quill immediately took off towards the east to prepare to head to the Forsaken. As he watched the Rito fly off into the distance Nick rushed back to his own home and gathered everything he think he'd need. He filled a back pack with all of the documents he had gathered on Hyrule that could potentially prove relevant to the current situation, a (very expensive) jumbo pictobox designed for taking and storing a large number of pictographs, and even a bow and some arrows just in case it should come down to that.

"Before this trip is over," Nick vowed as he left his house and ran towards his boat, "The truth is going to come out one way or another!"

To be continued...


	3. Discovering Hyrule

The winds were favorable as Nick made his journey. It was almost as if there were specifically blowing to take him to the fortress. As the day wore and the sun began to set into the western horizon his destination could finally be spotted in the distance.

"So that's Forsaken Fortress," Nick noted to himself as he observed its silhouette against the darkening sky, "but getting back to the task at hand I need to figure out just how I'm going to get Tetra to listen to me. Do I just tell her straight up what I'm thinking? Pfft. To do that it'll be a challenge just to get her to listen to me all the way through let alone get her to believe a word of it. I'm fairly certain I can just throw any notion of convincing her of the danger she's in out the window. If anything it's only going to want to make her go even more. Either way I guess it probably isn't possible for me to stop her, but what should I expect? I'm no member of royalty. I'm no hero. I guess I'm really just a regular kid on a boat heading right into a hurricane, but whether she is Tetra or Zelda I need to make this journey. If there's any chance at all of me being able to help out I need to be here, and even if I can't I can still do what I can to gather information, but enough thinking about it. It's time to get ready for action!"

Nick took some time to admire the even sky as he continued to approach the fortress. The stars and moon appeared one by one and flicker magnificently against the dark blue night time sky. In the meanwhile Tetra's crew had just made its arrival at the terrible stronghold and was preparing to make its next move.

"Gonzo! What's the situation from what you can tell!" Tetra announced to Gonzo who was at the ship's helm as the rest of her loyal crew gathered around her on the deck.

"Ii would appear that kid we brought here the last time we came has returned and actually managed to beat us here!"

"Okay!" she replied, "Our top priority here is to get those girls out so we can get the rewards, but I'd like to keep him from getting tossed away like he did last time if it's possible."

"Yes Ma'am!" they all pledged in unison

"Gonzo, Senza and I will head to the top of the fortress to carry out the rescue operation. In the mean time I want the rest of you roaming the lower levels and the outside as backup to prevent any surprise attacks. Do you all understand?"

"Yes Ma'am!" They repeated with enthusiasm.

"Then let's get going!" Tetra finally declared.

"Hold up Miss Tetra!" Gonzo suddenly interrupted her as he looked over the stern of the pirate ship, "There's another vessel approaching from the rear!"

"Another vessel?" Tetra exclaimed as she rushed up to join him and took a look with her telescope, "Is that... Nick's boat? What in the world could he be coming here for?"

"Captain? Do you want to get going?"

"Not yet. I want to see just what possessed him to show up here," she clarified. It wasn't long after that that she heard a voice calling out to her from the approaching vessel.

"TETRA!"

"So he's here just for me huh?" she noted, "Send him down a ladder so he can climb aboard. I really need to see just what in the world he could be here for."

The others did as they were told as Nick pulled up to the side of the ship. Without any time to spare he worked his way up the ladder and pulled himself onto the ship's deck. Tetra and the others could only shoot him odd looks as he fell onto his back in exhaustion.

"Tetra..." Nick panted, "I'm so glad... I made it in time..."

"Made it in time?..." she asked, "Just what are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry..." he apologized as he got back onto his feet, "It's just... there's something important we need to talk about..."

"Important enough that you sailed all the way to this hellhole on your own?"

"Yes"

"Well what is it then?"

Nick opened his mouth to speak in an attempt to simply explain his thoughts in the most straightforward way possible, but just as he began to talk his voice fell silent. His mouth moved, but the words simply refused to come out. Tetra could only looked at him wide eyed as she watched his mouth struggle with the moment.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" Nick inwardly screamed at himself," Come on Nick. Just say it. She's your friend. You can't afford to fold under the pressure now. All you need to say is "I believe you are the Princess I've been looking for." Even if it sounds more like a marriage proposal than a revelation I can't afford to stop now that I've come this far!"

"I... uhhh well... I... you see..." Nick stuttered trembling violently all over

"See what?" Tetra raised her voice, "Spit it out already!"

"Damn! I can't get myself to say it! I'm just too damn nervous. I still can't afford to let her go though!"

"You can't go in there!" Nick then blurted out without thinking.

"What do you mean "I can't go in there"?" Tetra snapped back visibly offended.

"Crap why'd I have to say it like that?" Nick cursed to himself, "Oh well there's no turning back now..."

"Y-yeah that's right," Nick confirmed in a weaker voice, "I came all this way because... I just can't let you go in there..."

"Are you kidding me?" Tetra shot back, "Did you really come all this way just to insult me like this. Please tell me. Just why can't I go in there?"

"Well... if you were to get caught like the other girls it would probably be very-

"How can you underestimate me like this?" she cut him off mid-sentence.

"Ugh..." Nick groaned inwardly, "beating around the bush like this is getting me absolutely nowhere, and now I'm losing her. It's now or never! I just need to work up all the nerve I have and just blurt it out now!"

"You can't go in there because you're-"

"Enough of this!" she shoved him aside and onto the floor before he could finish, "Everyone let's get going! I don't know what's gotten into you Nick but I'll deal with it later! Now let's move!"

Nick stared up from his back into the sky as the pirate crew left one by one until he was left alone with just his own thoughts. He wasn't hurt from the fall though except for his pride.

"Ahhh..." Nick sighed, "I should've known that would happen. I guess I'm really not cut out for hands on work like this. In the grand scheme of things I guess I really don't have any place interfering in these affairs. Maybe I should just cut my losses and head home now..." It was then that he noticed that the door leading into the ship's interior was actually left slightly open... "Tetra's ship... I actually don't think I've ever been in there... Hmmm. At the moment there's nothing and nobody to stop me from going in... If I'm looking for clues about Tetra's heritage there's probably no other place in the world I can currently look. Maybe I'm not done yet after all..."

After scanning the area to make sure that nobody had stayed behind to catch him Nick worked up his courage and made his way inside the ship. He quickly worked his way into Tetra's cabin where he was sure the clues he seeked lied. Upon entering the room he immediately couldn't help chuckling to himself

"So this is Tetra's room huh?" he remarked to himself taking note of the simple set up of a bed, a dresser, and a simple few pictures hanging on the walls, "It's a lot more pleasant than I would have expected."

The first thing he took notice to specifically was the picture of Tetra's mother on the wall.

"So this is Tetra's mother," he mentally noted, "Under my current theory she was the previous heir to the Royal Family. As such she should hold some clues herself. Even if Tetra is Zelda it still doesn't explain what happened to the Royal Family from the fall of Hyrule until now. That's what I'm here to try and find out, and judging from the images of the Hero of Time and the Triangle Islands she has hanging here this is definitely the right place to look."

He continued to casually search the room while trying to cause as little of a disturbance as possible. If he was caught in here by a returning crew member there was the very distinct possibility that he just might end up dead.

"I've got to hurry," he rushed himself as he examined the floor. It was then that he noticed a small box under Tetra's bed, "What's this?" he wondered as he pulled it out and brushed off some of the dust.

It was a treasure chest with the words "Mom's stuff" written on the front.

"This could be it!" Nick exclaimed as he excitedly attempted to open it up. In his excitement though he failed to take notice of the small combination lock holding it closed.

"Crap! A lock!" he muttered, "I don't have the time to break this thing open now, and I can't ask Tetra about it because then she'll know that I snuck in here. Oh well I'll just have to take it with me and hope I can open it up before she figures me out. It's not like I have the time to pick and choose what to take with me anyway. It may be a bit dirty, but I'll never have another chance at this. Besides, how morally wrong is it to steal from a pirate anyway?"

It was at that moment that Nick sudden found his search interrupted by what sounded to be a large explosion. Nick took the chest in his arm and dashed back to the deck to be greeted by the sight of Valoo assaulting the top of the fortress with his fire breath as some Rito who appeared to be carrying something with them flew over his head and off into the distance.

"That was Quill!" Nick realized as he dashed back to his boat to makes his escape before the other pirates returned. "Was that Tetra he was carrying? So it came down to that after all... but hey at the very least I can feel like I accomplished something here today and be on my way... Wait.. What on earth am I saying after coming this far? I need to go after them not head home now. The truth is drawing ever closer and I must pursue it wherever it is headed."

Without wasting another moment Nick took off in his boat after his flying targets as fast as he could. Once again the wind had changed as if doing so with the intention of guiding him where he needed to go. As he chased after his targets a grand tower became visible in the distance.

"That's definitely new!" Nick noted as he continued his pursuit, "I've got a pretty good feeling that's my final destination in this trip. The place where everything will finally come together!" Nick continued to observe the tower in awe as it became clearer and clearer, "It's definitely not just something that somebody built in their spare time. This must be a key piece of ancient Hyrule."

As he finally completed his approach he noticed a strange light glowing in the water as the Ritos flew away empty handed.

"Quill!" Nick shouted to ensure he got the Rito's attention.

"Nick!" Quill shouted back, "I can't believe you actually came this far."

"Neither can I!" Nick replied with a laugh, "But that isn't important right now! What happened to Tetra?"

"Things went badly as you suggested they might and Valoo told us to bring her here if they did!" Quill explained, "We wound up having to rescue that Link I told you about too!"

"And where are they now?"

"They took a boat and vanished into that light!"

"I appreciate all of your help!" Nick thanked him, "I think I know exactly what I need to do now!"

"I wish you the best of luck!" Quill called back as he then flew off into the night.

"So this light will take me to where Tetra is..." Nick murmured, "and possibly where all the answers lie along with her..."

And with a crazy combination of fear and excitement Nick finally maneuvered his own boat into the light. He found himself startled as he suddenly began to submerge into the ocean. His first instinct told him to hold his breath as he began to sink but soon discovered that not only could he breath here but the water didn't even get him wet! He let out a relaxed sigh at the realization that he wouldn't drown until he looked over the side of the boat to receive an even greater surprise.

"Is that a... castle?"

He looked over the undersea structure in a frenzy as his boat slowly continued his descent. He found himself strongly fighting the powerful urge to just jump out of the boat to get there faster. It didn't take him long to realize just what this building was once he spotted the statue that stood on the top of the castle's tallest tower.

"That's the symbol of Hyrule's Royal Family, but that means... this is Hyrule Castle!"

To be continued...


	4. A Friend in Need

Nick stared at the ancient structure in awe as his boat finally made its way to the bottom.

"This is really it..." he repeated to himself in disbelief, "Hyrule Castle... Hyrule didn't "disappear"... It sunk into the ocean!"

He stepped out of his boat and into the small pond that it had landed in. Beside him was a grand, red sailboat that seemed to be designed to look like a lion except for the fact that its eyes were oddly closed.

"It really is everything I had imagined it would be..."

After spending so much time learning about this place actually seeing it truly was an extraordinary experience for the young historian. Just the architecture of the front entrance was fantastic from the artificial pond he was standing in to the grand hallway leading into the castle. He prepared to peek inside when he then heard what sounded like somebody running in his direction.

"Crap, I definitely don't need to be seen now! Last thing I need to be is mistaken for an enemy!" Nick panicked as he then pushed his boat into the space to the side of the entrance hallway to ensure that he wouldn't be spotted by anyone who happened to be exiting the castle. He waited in hiding in the corner until the scurrying sound came closer and closer until he finally spotted a boy in a green tunic rushing out of the castle. The boy immediately jumped into the red boat whose eyes suddenly shot open and moved it self into the light from which they had entered from. Nick observed as the pair ascended up towards the surface as the portal disappeared behind them.

"So that was Link the hero huh?" Nick noted to himself, "The one who's going to save us all. but if he just left then... where's Tetra? Quill said she came here with him after all. Either way with that light gone I can only guess that I'm here for the long haul. It's a good thing I came prepared to make the most of it."

Nick then took a moment to reconfirm the items that he had with him: a pictobox (There was definitely a good chance he'd see something worth snapping a photo of), a good deal of documents containing a great deal of the information on Hyrule he and his family had uncovered (highly detailed though incomplete which Nick hoped to alleviate with this latest trip), a bow and arrow (He still wasn't sure what kind of monsters he might encounter here), and the chest he'd "borrowed" from Tetra's cabin (which he still felt some guilt about but was too determined at the moment to care as much as he normally would).

"It's time to see just what this castle has in store for me."

He entered through the main hallway and found himself completely awestruck by what he discovered inside. The castle's main hall was magnificent. A grand statue of the Hero of Time stood before him as a vast array of ancient art and portraits decorated the walls of the main chamber.

"I've hit the jackpot on this one! This is really it! My parents and their colleagues have spent years searching for this place! To think I'd be the one to find it first!"

He immediately grabbed his pictobox out of his bag to prepare snapping photos of the grand room.

Observing the lower floor he noticed the debris that seemed to be lying around in small piles though nothing had taken major damage

"It looks like a fight broke out here recently," he observed, "but otherwise everything has been preserved excellently. This really is a dream come true!"

He then took notice to the statue of the Hero that stood directly before him facing away. He walked around it to take a good up close look at it.

"That kid really does resemble the Hero well. If the legends are true we should have nothing to worry about," he remarked snapping a picture of it.

Upon turning around he could now see the two largest portraits mounted on the room's rear wall. Nick first look towards the right to see a painting of an old man with a red coat and crown.

"So that must be the king of Hyrule..." He noted with a picture and turning his head to the left to the picture of a young blond girl wearing a pink dress surrounded by a group of men in their finest outfits

"And this must be Princess Zelda... " Nick commented with a third snap of his pictobox, "These men surrounding her. They sort of look like Tetra's crew now don't they? Another coincidence? That's what I'm here to find out."

Nick continued to roam the main hall with youthful excitement, but below him in the basement there was another person who wasn't enjoying this nearly as much as he was.

Down a secret staircase concealed by the statue of the Hero of Time Tetra waited in a hidden chamber surrounded by a shallow stream and various stained glass portraits of the legendary sages of Hyrule. Only now she was not only Tetra but also the Princess of Hyrule Zelda. As she waited for Link to come back for her the shock of learning her true identity was beginning to overwhelm her. She was currently leaned over and staring at her new reflection in water. Her eyes were filled to the brim with sadness and uncertainty

"Just what's happening to me?... My clothing, my personality, my complexion, my name, none of it's the same." Tetra thought to herself, "Just who am I anymore? Am I still Tetra or did Tetra never even exist to begin with, and why does it have to be me? Why do I have to be the helpless one a time like this? Isn't there anything I can do to help? And Mom! Did she know about any of this? If she did... why didn't she tell me? Can I even face my own crew anymore?"

She slowly began to lose her composure as she noticed her eyes turning red from fighting back her own tears.

"I'm just glad to nobody has to see me like this... Either way I need to get out of here! I can't stay here like this!"

She ran for the exit and up the staircase to try and leave, but found her path blocked by the statue that guarded the entrance.

"Damn it!" she cursed as she pounded the obstacle with her right first before noticing the Triforce of Wisdom now glowing the the back of it, "Wait if this was sealed with royal magic and I now wield that same kind of magic... that means if I focus I should be able to move this out of my way!"

Tetra took a step backwards and began to focus her energy on the statue blocking her. It indeed took notice of her efforts and began to slowly but surely move out her way.

However, back in the upper chamber...

"Huh? What's up with that?" Nick took note of the moving statue from the upper level of the main hall. He ran back towards the statue in a hurry to check out the passage that was slowly being revealed with this movement. The boy momentarily peered into the new staircase to see where it led only to find himself being knocked back and onto the floor in a flash by a sudden blow to the head. Nick let out a yelp of pain as he suddenly heard a weaker, female voice do the same. He then slowly got up from his back to take notice of the girl in front of him still on the ground, and froze with shock as he took in her clothes and form.

"It really is her..." he whispered under his breath flabbergasted.

"Ow! What did I run into now?" Tetra yelled inwardly on the floor as she removed her hands from her face to get a look at the boy standing in front of her, "Is that... Nick? What the hell is he doing here? Oh no! I can't let him realize it's actually it's me! I just can't stand being seen like this!"

"Hey... are you okay?..." Nick slowly offered a helping hand to the girl that had just run into him only to have it promptly ignored as she ran past him and out of the castle's front entrance. Confused, Nick followed her outside to find her on the stepping stones in the lake frantically searching for the portal to get back to the sea above.

"Where is it? Where is it?" Tetra yelled in a panic as Nick only watched in surprise.

"If you're looking for the way out of here," Nick told her, "You can probably forget about it. It's gone. The two of us are probably here to stay until that kid in the green tunic comes back.

Upon taking in Nick's words Tetra fell to her knees in despair.

"Y-You don't understand," she choked, "I just need to get out of here..."

"Just what are you doing locked down here anyway?" he asked politely.

"I was told to wait... until they came back but.. I can't take this anymore!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know how to get out." Nick apologized, "Now please come back inside. If we're going to be stuck here we should at least hang out with each other while we are waiting."

"N-No I can't..."

"Huh?" Nick asked still unable to make sense of her odd behavior, "Why not?"

"B-because... I can't tell you..."

"You can't tell me..." Nick repeated in his head stunned by the erratic way she was acting, "At this point Tetra is the only one this could possibly be so why is she avoiding me? If it weren't for all the clues pointing to it I'd find it harder to believe that this girl is Tetra than that Tetra herself is Princess Zelda. I really can't stand to see her like this though. I still need to figure out what happened at the fortress and what caused her to transform, but this is far more important. I'm a friend first and a historian second. If she's pretending to not know me for some reason it's probably best that I don't press her on it until I figure out why. Until then I should just do what I can to make her feel better."

Nick then walked over to to the young girl and offered her another helping hand, "Please... get up and come in with me... It wouldn't be proper to leave someone as beautiful as you on the ground like this..."

"B-beautiful... You think I'm beautiful..." she sobbed back finally willing to make eye contact with him. Nick found himself nearly heartbroken by the sad sight of the girl before him but wasn't going to lose his nerve like last time.

"Of course I do with that long, flowing hair and that fantastic dress. Now come on. Take my hand," he encouraged her again.

This time she finally complied and went with him back inside. The two of them took their seats with their backs against the rear wall to the right of the door way directly under the portrait of Princess Zelda Nick had pictographed earlier.

"Okay I got her back in here," he said to himself, "Now I just need to take this one step at a time."

"So just who exactly are you?" Nick asked already knowing the answer but hoping to make some progress in starting a conversation.

"If only I knew..." Tetra sobbed inwardly, "If that old King said I'm Zelda then I guess that's who I am for now."

"I-I'm P-Princess Z-Zelda... apparently..." she responded weakly struggling just to speak a coherent sentence, "A-and who are y-you?" she then asked already knowing the answer like Nick before her.

"Apparently Zelda..." Nick mentally noticed, "and pretending not to know me... So is this coming from her struggle with grasping her true identity? If so then I guess it's time to give her the chance to feel like the royalty she really is. I've been waiting years to say this after all."

Nick waited moment before surprising the princess next to him by getting up and kneeling as politely as he could in front of her

"I am a historian who's here to learn as much as I can about this castle and the kingdom it belongs to," he introduced himself in a proud voice, "If you say that you're Princess Zelda then I must tell you that I've spent many years looking for you. My name is Nicholas and it's a great honor to finally meet you."

"Honor to meet me..." she repeated to herself, "I'm the princess he's been... looking for?" she then remembered the various times Nick had mentioned his search for an unnamed princess when telling her about his studies, "So all the work he was doing... it was all just to find me... to meet me..." She began to tear up at the realization.

"N-No.. you don't have to... do this for me..." she attempted to tell him.

"But I do..." he assured her, "It's only proper to show respect when you're meeting one of the three people you truly admire in the world."

"Admire... you admire me..." She cried softly, "but... why?"

"Well your ancestors helped saved the world on more than one occasion. Even now I'm sure you're doing something to help protect the people of the world."

"Y-yeah... I g-guess..." she stammered before working up the curiosity to ask another question, "So then who are these other two people that you admire?..."

"Well the first one is the Hero of Time for starters," he began to explain, "The reasons for it should be fairly obvious."

"...And the other?..."

Nick worked up a great deal of the courage he had in him as he prepared his answer. What he was about to say was in fact the truth, but it was right now, more than ever, that she needed to hear it.

"The third person you probably won't know," he started, "But I still hold her in very high regard personally."

"Her?..."

"She's a pirate girl who goes by the name of Tetra," he continued, "She's pretty, bold, brash, and my best friend in the entire world. She sails the seas in search of treasure and adventure and always bravely faces the obstacles before her, yet at the same time is one of the kindest, most caring people I know. Even in her travels she never forgets to stop by and say hello whenever she stops by my home island. As somebody who spends a lot of his time indoors due to his studies she'll probably never know just how much I appreciate it, but most of all is the fact that I trust her. I trust her as much as any member of my own family. Some of the neighbor kids will make jokes about how they think I'm madly in love with her, and that's not entirely untrue. It's just that she's like a sister to me and I love her like one. Someone who I can count on to be there for me if I need her and someone I'm always ready to be there for if she needs me. Even if I have to sail halfway across the ocean to do so..."

Hearing somebody talk about her old self like this for the first time in her life was simply to much for the fragile young girl in her present state of mind. At this point she couldn't help but curl herself up into a ball and begin sobbing wildly into her gloved arms.

"I thought knowing that would be just what she needed to feel better, but now it looks like I just made things worse," Nick sadly thought to himself as her looked at her bawling right in front of him, "But why... What's making her so upset?"

"What's wrong," Nick attempted to ask his crying friend, "Why did you suddenly start crying like this?"

Working up all of her inner pain and sorrow Tetra momentarily uncurled herself just long enough to scream "BECAUSE YOUR FRIEND DOESN'T REALLY EXIST NICK!" before resuming her sobbing in her previous position.

"Because your friend doesn't really exist?..." Nick repeated to himself a few times, "So that's it huh? That's why you're a wreck like this. To think that she was being forced to go through this pain alone. It's awful... How could that Link kid leave her alone in this condition?... I suppose it's up to me now. I guess it also means it's time to tell her how much I really know."

He sat back down besides her and began to gently rub her back until she had finally quieted down enough so that he could talk.

"You know it's funny Zelda..." he began, "but I don't quite remember telling you the nickname I usually go by which you just used."

At this point she fell silent and let out a muffled "So what's your point?"

"My point is that I can't stand seeing you like this... I didn't like it when your mom died and I certainly don't like it now..."

Not taking long to catch what he was hinting at Tetra finally picked her head up again, "Nick do you mean that..."

"Yes...I do mean that Tetra" he interrupted and finished for her, "I know it's actually you in this dress. I've actually known for a little bit now, but make no mistake about it. I meant everything that I told you earlier Tetra.'

"Please don't call me that right now Nick..."

"Why not? I figured if anything you'd get mad if I called you Zelda."

"Because I just don't know right now! The only thing I can say for certain right now is that by some ancient tradition I'm supposed to be called Zelda. It's all I have to go on anymore. The pirate girl known as Tetra. How can I be certain she wasn't anything more than a shallow lie?"

"Because I..."

"Pirate or Princess? Tetra or Zelda? Who the hell am I? Please help me Nick!" she begged in agony before resuming her earlier sobbing.

Without another word Nick immediately wrapped his arms around the girl and pulled her closer to him. He squeezed her into a powerful hug as tears began to well up in his own eyes.

"I thought I told you earlier," he reiterated for her, "You're my best friend! Always have and always will be!"

Tetra stopped her sobbing in an instant upon hearing his reassuring words.

"I've been learning about this kingdom of Hyrule for almost as long as I've known you. I still swear everything I said about the pirate known as Tetra and the princess known as Zelda is one hundred percent true. I never imagined in a million years that you would be the same person. As such I also can't hope to imagine what you're going through right now. That doesn't mean I intend to let you go through it alone though. I'm no legendary hero. I can't hope to smite evil like that kid Link can. That simply isn't my role here, but if I can help out just by being here for you I'll stay down here as long as necessary. If you really feel like you don't know who you are then I fully intend to expend all of my efforts to figure it out. I promise you that on my life!"

Nick felt Tetra begin to let out more tears into his right shoulder. It was then that she finally returned the hug as strongly she could. For her it was the tightest she had embraced anyone in years. All she could do was cry "Thank you... Thank you..." over and over again.

She continued to hold him closely for a few more minutes before Nick finally let go and finally went back sitting with his back leaned against the wall. Rather than go back to sitting next to him though Tetra instead opted to take a seat right in front of him and rested her head against his chest.

"Uh... what are you doing?" Nick requested to know awkwardly.

"Sorry," she apologized, "I just... I just need to be close to someone right now..."

"It's fine," he calmly agreed, "Have you finally calmed down now?"

"Yeah... but can I ask you something?..."

"Sure, what is it?"

"You said you knew about... this... for a little bit now... how long?"

"About a day or two. It was your last visit at Windfall that gave me the clues I needed to figure it out. Namely that broken piece of a golden relic known as the Triforce that you showed to me."

"The actual King of Hyrule told me all about it," she explained, "He put it back together and it turned me into... well this."

"I understand."

"But wait... If you knew back then then is this really why you tried to stop me from going into the Forsaken Fortress."

"Yes that's right... That's exactly why though I couldn't bring myself to say it."

"And all I did was shove you out of my way..."

"Don't blame yourself for that. I was the one who choked under the pressure. I deserved it. Quill still managed to get you out of there like I told him to though so it wasn't a total loss."

"Thanks."

"I said I'd be there for you like you'd be there for me didn't I?"

It was then that Tetra suddenly felt Nick slowly running his hands through her long, open hair.

"Uh... what are you doing?" it was now her turn to ask.

"Oh I'm sorry about that... It's just that I never knew you had this much hair..."

"Well I do keep it curled up most of the time..."

"Well it's a good look for you... The dress too... I think these royal clothes look fantastic on you..."

"So when you said earlier that I was b-"

"I told you earlier Tetra," he cut her off, "I meant everything I said."

"Look I know I've managed to calm down," she changed the subject, "but could you please call me Zelda while I'm like this... I'm just... too unsure about things to use my regular name right now. There's just too much I don't understand. I need to be sure about who I really am before I can ever go back..."

Hearing her request Nick enthusiastically rose to his feet in that instant, "Then it's time we start working to find out!" he announced.

"Find out?" Tetra repeated, "but how..."

"It's simple," Nick continued, "This castle has all of the clues that we could ever need! Your problem is that you don't know whether Tetra or Zelda is the real you. What you need to do is figure out how the two connect. We've got a huge castle filled with clues to the past. This is like a playground to a guy like me! If we combine the clues here with the history I know and the memories you hold then we can finally figure out exactly how the Royal Family of Hyrule became the Great Sea Pirates. Once we do that then you can finally figure out who you are and what you're meant to do."

"Do you really think you can do that?" Tetra asked as she took the arm he had now outstretched to her and pulled herself back up.

"I made it this far didn't I? This'll be a cakewalk!" Nick guaranteed, "Plus it could be a good deal of fun. Now come on. It's time to get you in touch with your royal heritage!"

To be continued...


	5. Exploring the Castle

"Are you sure about this?" Tetra asked nervously as Nick prepared to lead the way, "I mean I was told by the king that I had to stay in that basement until he and Link came back for me."

"It'll be fine," Nick assured her, "This shouldn't take that long. One quick tour of the castle and then we can go back down into hiding. This is probably the only chance you'll ever have to do this. What's better? Spending a short time as Ganon's prisoner or remaining a prisoner of your own doubts for the rest your life?"

Tetra thought this over for a few moments before finally agreeing, "Yeah you're right. Let's go. I need to do this. I need to know who I am..."

"And besides," Nick added to himself mentally, "The king is naive. There's no place safe for us in the entire world right now. Not from him..."

"Okay then let's begin!" Nick announced as he first led Tetra to a stairway winding up the corner of the room in which they had just been sitting. It led them up .wards for a few minutes before arriving in a grand room with a long table set up with multiple chairs surrounding it. In front of each seat there was a fine silverware set up by a very expensive looking plate.

"I can only assume this is the dining room," Tetra murmured.

"Zelda take a look at this!" Nick called out from a doorway leading into an adjacent room.

Tetra followed him inside to find a grand kitchen to go with the dining room. It had a large table in the center covered in various seasonings and spices. There was an oven in the corner with various pantries and cupboards filled with all kinds of different foods spread aroung the walls of the room. Strangest of all though was the delicious aroma that seemed to be coming from the oven. Caught off guard by the appetizing scent Nick went over and opened the oven to see what was inside without even really thinking about it. To his great surprise he found a freshly cooked pig inside. As the smell reached her nose as well Tetra joined Nick in observing his latest discovery.

"What's something like this doing in here?" Tetra shouted in anger, "What did Link decide to come up here and make himself a snack when he's supposed to be out working to get me out of here?"

"That's highly unlikely," Nick replied calmly, "He was rushing out of the castle almost as soon as I got here, "He wouldn't have had enough time to cook something like this. What's stranger though is what it's doing here at all. This kingdom disappeared centuries ago. This should've long since rotted away. Yet not only does it smell fresh, but it's warm as if it was just cooked. Most historians today assume that Hyrule was completely destroyed taking the Evil King and the Royal Family with it, yet not only does it seem this kingdom was sealed away but frozen in time as well. Plus the fact that they left a freshly cooked pig in the oven also suggests that your ancestors were forced to abandon the castle in a hurry."

"That would certainly fall in line with what the king told me..." Tetra quietly noted.

"Speaking of which I'd like to talk with you about that," Nick requested, "If it wouldn't be too much trouble that is..."

"No that sounds fine," Tetra nodded in approval.

"And while we're at it we might as well keep this meal from going to waste," Nick added as he pulled the pig out of the oven.

"Are you sure about this?" Tetra asked nervously.

"Come on Zelda I'm sure you're as hungry as I am. I haven't had a bite to eat since I left Windfall. It's been too long since we had a nice dinner together. Come on let's go to the dining room."

Tetra silently complied as Nick grabbed a knife and brought the pig over to the dinner table. While he was glad she had stopped crying Nick still felt concerned over her radical change in personality. The least he could do is do what he could to make sure she enjoyed her time in the castle. The pair took two seats across from each other as Nick cut the pig in half and put a piece on each of their plates

"Dinner is served Your Highness..." Nick offered her the plate playfully.

"Why thank you my loyal subject," Tetra accepted with a grin.

"Anyway back to business," Nick changed the subject as he took a bite, "I'd like you to tell me as much as you can about what happened since the last time we saw each other."

"Well in the beginning everything went as I planned it," Tetra told him as she began to eat as well, " I managed to get to where the abducted girls were being held and set them free."

"I noticed Link was taken out of the fortress with you. Exactly what was he doing there."

"He returned to make another attempt at rescuing his sister if you remember me telling you about that. It went much better for him this time and he even managed to kill the bird that had kidnapped her."

"And how does this lead to you meeting with Ganondorf?"

"Well Link actually made it to him first. He tried to defeat him with the Master Sword, but it didn't work so..."

"Woah hold it!" Nick interrupted her story, "This is the Master Sword that managed to defeat him in the past. What do you mean it didn't work?"

"According to him it had lost its power to repel evil. What we're waiting for Link to do right now is to restore that power."

"This type of thing has Ganon's handiwork written all over it," Nick remarked, "To think he thought far enough ahead to pull something like that off. Anyway please go on with your story. Sorry for butting in like that."

"Well after he looked like he was about to beaten that's when I chose to jump in and try to save him," Tetra continued, "It didn't go very well for me either and that's when Ganondorf managed to get a hold on me and started choking me. I remember him noticing the Triforce piece I was wearing though I didn't know it at the time and talking about how he had finally found me. Me being "Princess Zelda" that is."

"So all of my suspicions about the abductions were right after all," Nick confirmed to himself.

"I passed out after that, and the next thing I remember after that is waking up with Link down here," Tetra went on, "The king began to speak through my stone and instructed us to come to that basement you saw me running out of earlier. Once we got down there he explained to us the history behind this place. According to him, centuries ago, the Evil King managed to break free from his seal and once again attempted to claim the power of the Gods for himself. However this time no hero emerged to fight him. With no other option they Royal Family pleaded with the Gods to help them as Ganon's army closed in on them. They decided to seal away Hyrule by flooding the land and ordered a select few to take refuge on the mountain tops and start the world over until it was time to return to Hyrule. I'm guessing that flood is what created the Great Sea we both sail on today though I'm sure this makes much more sense to you than it does to me."

"Yeah it does," Nick chuckled, "Don't sell yourself short though. It probably would've taken me years to learn about all of the things that you just told me. So just how did you turn into Princess Zelda?"

"Well after he finished his story he called me over and took my necklace. He explained to me that it was called the Triforce of Wisdom and even guessed that it was given to me by my mother. It turns out he was in possession of the missing piece and it was then that he put it back together. I remember seeing a bright flash of light, and the next thing I knew I looked like this. After that the King instructed me to stay behind in the hidden chamber as Ganon was not aware of its existence yet. Link left after that and and you know the rest."

"Quite a story there..." Nick commented to himself, "but does the king really underestimate Ganondorf by that much? Did he really tell Tetra with a straight face that there was actually a place in the castle that he wouldn't find?..."

"But one of the things the king said before he turned me into Zelda still bothers me," Tetra suddenly continued, "He told me that I have to abide by the laws of the past. That this is the very reason for which I live, but wouldn't that almost certainly mean that I can't be Tetra anymore... Acting the way I have up until now is almost certainly out of the role a princess is supposed to play..."

Nick's eyes widened with shock as Tetra told him about the king's words.

"How could he say something like that to her?" Nick asked himself in astonishment, "To lump that kind of burden on a girl he barely knows... on my friend... that jerk!"

"I already told you Zelda," Nick openly restated, "Until we've pieced all of the clues in the castle together we can't say anything like that for sure. Any judgment like that is almost certainly premature at this time. Now come on. Let's clean off our plates and see what else this castle has to teach us."

Nick took Tetra's now empty plate along with his own and emptied the remaining scraps into the trash that was also in the dining room. As he cleaned up he noticed another open door in the room leading to a new hallway.

"Zelda, let's see where this hall leads us," Nick suggested as she rose from her chair to join him.

The two went down the hallway which also seemed to be decorated with many portraits like the main chamber that had started their trip from. The hallway stretched all the way to the other end of the castle where Nick and Tetra now found themselves by a marvelous throne room. A royal throne stood proudly in the back as many fine statues took up the space around it and artistic depictions of the Three Goddesses of Hyrule hung above it.

"Wow so this is the heart and soul of Hyrule huh?" Nick commented as he took his pictobox back out from the bag on his back and resumed snapping pictures as he had earlier.

As Nick went about his business Tetra carefully explored the room at her own pace. She took note of the statues spread throughout the room displaying several prominent figures of Hyrule's history. She continued to walk around the room and finally reached the throne on the far end. She gingerly examined it as she then heard a voice call out to her.

"Hey Zelda why don't you take a seat?" Nick suggested, "I'll get your picture to remember this by!"

"I'm not sure if I should..."

"Oh come on it's your throne after all. You look like you could use it."

Tetra let out a sigh and decided to give in, "Okay fine, but no pictures. Not right now."

"As you wish my princess." Nick complied as he continued his studies.

As she took her seat in her kingdom's throne Tetra's mind finally began to slowly wrap itself all that has been going on up until now.

"I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule," she told herself as she observed Nick's continued examination of the throne room, "This is actually my castle. Had it not been for the flood this is where I would live. I would have thousands of subjects who look up to me for protection and guidance just as my pirate crew does now. Even now as I sit here on this throne I have my best friend here who dedicated his whole live to finding me and another friend now out risking his life to save me. Two people willing to go so far and work this hard for me. But... why? Is it just because I'm a princess?"

"Nick..." Tetra called out weakly from her seat.

"Yes Zelda," he responded.

"Why is it that so many people are willing to do so much for me? My crew has always been loyal to me ever since I took over despite my age. Link is currently up there fighting untold evil just because of me and you... You're an ordinary kid as far as all of this is concerned. You have no real investment in any of this yet here you are leagues from home but still working your ass off just because you say you want to help me. Why?"

"This isn't like you Zelda..." Nick remarked, "I figured you'd be able to understand it by now. This is what friends do for each other. Not only that, but this is what you do for people you truly look up to and respect. From the stories you've told me you've bailed your crew out of countless messes, you helped Link finally save his sister, and as I already said the fact that you take the time to visit me at home means a lot to me. Now that you're the one in need it's our turn to return the favor and pay what we owe. Princess or not you have a one in a million combination of courage and compassion that the rest of us can't help but be drawn towards. Take this however you want it, but now that I think of it you're probably the best girl in the world that could have wound up being Princess Zelda, and in case you're about to ask yes I really mean that."

Tetra mulled over his words as Nick continued exploring until he found a pair of doorways. One on each side of the room's rear first peeked his head into the door on the right to find a room with a red king size bed and a grand dresser sitting next to it. A portrait of the king hung on the room's back wall.

"I can only assumed that this is the king's room," Nick noted as he walked across to check out the door on the left.

Inside was the same type of bed and dresser combo, but the bed sheets as well as the walls were instead a bright shade of pink. Rather than a portrait though there was a large window in the room giving one a fantastic view of the outside world.

"And this must be Princess Zelda's..." he continued as he turned his attention back to Tetra.

"Hey Zelda!" he called out, "Come here. You should come check out your room."

"My room?"

"Princess Zelda's room. Same thing right?"

"Isn't that a little invasive?"

"Isn't that a little hypocritical coming from you?" Nick retorted with a smirk, "Besides, don't you want to see what you could've had?"

Tetra knew she had been beat and rose from the throne with her curiosity piqued while Nick made his way inside. She slowly looked around as Nick instantly dropped onto the bed in exhaustion.

"Wow," he sighed as he got a feel for just how soft a royal bed was, "You just don't realize how much you've worn yourself out until you decide to relax for a moment."

"I always tell you that you're overdoing it," Tetra added with a chuckle.

"Nick responded with a laugh as he pulled himself back up, "and I just refuse to learn my lesson don't I? I definitely can't afford to stop now. I've got a really strong hunch that this room just might contain what we've been looking for."

The two began to search the room for clues until Nick spotted a book sitting on top of the dresser.

"What's this?" he asked himself as he took it into his hands, "Zelda take a look at this."

"What is it?"

"Some kind of book," he explained as flipped through the pages until reaching the last one with writing on it and showed it to her. "By the formatting I'd guess it's a journal, but it's written completely in ancient Hylian. I could translate it, but with writing this complex it could take hours if not days to finish. Damn and I'm sure there's something written in here that could be really important to us."

As he wrapped up his explanation he was taken be surprise as Tetra suddenly went wide eyed and fell to her knees in shock. As she fell Nick could make out a whisper from the girl "What's happening to me?..."

"What's wrong?" Nick panicked as he pulled Tetra back to her feet.

"T-that language..." she stammered, "I've never seen it before in my life and yet... I can read that text as if it were written in English... That book... It was written by a previous Princess Zelda... and from the few lines I saw... I already can't believe what it says... What does it mean for me...?"

"Come on! Don't keep me in the dark! What does it say?"

"She mentions how she is planning... to run away from the Royal Family!"

To be continued...


	6. The Princess' Pain

"Running away from the Royal Family?" Nick questioned, "Are you sure?"

"Yes..." Tetra confirmed, "But I don't know... I've never seen this stuff before in my life yet I can read it so clearly...

"Could this be an effect of gaining the Triforce of Wisdom?" Nick murmured to himself.

"Does this mean I'm just the descendant of a runaway?" Tetra then asked somberly

"Woah, woah, woah," Nick slowed her down, "Let's get the whole story first rather than just a few sentences. If you can read that so easily just turn it back a few pages and just read the last entries aloud so we can figure out why she's doing this and what happened."

"Okay," Tetra sighed in agreement as she flipped back a couple pages, "I'll go back and see just where she starts talking about the fall of Hyrule then."

"_The past few days I've been getting some bad vibes," _she began to read_, "The kingdom of Hyrule is continuing to prosper like it never has in its history and my father and I continue to be loved and adored deeply by the people of the kingdom, yet something feels wrong. A strange wind blows through the air and my sleep has been haunted by unpleasant dreams. My father continues to insist that they don't mean anything. I don't know what they mean yet but for now I can only pray to the Goddesses that he's right."_

"Keep going until we get to the end," Nick implored her.

"Okay, Next page," she continued, _"The nightmares have been getting worse lately. I keep seeing an evil figure with a large cloak, red hair, and cold eyes. Whenever I decide to try and ask it who it is the answer is always the same. The Supreme King of all Evil. The Great Ganondorf. I don't know how it is possible. The Hero of Time was said to have destroyed him. He couldn't possibly still be alive... Could he?"_

_-Next page-_

_"Disaster struck today. Kakariko Village was attack out of nowhere, and whatever it was that did it vanished almost as quickly as it came. My father insists the the Royal Army of Hyrule will do anything and everything to destroy whoever was responsible for it. I mentioned the dreams that I'd been having to him, but he once again dismissed them as an impossibility, but if they are true... there might not be any hope at all for us..."_

_-Next Page-_

_"There's no mistaking it now. The King of Evil of legend has returned. Today, on a hunch, I decided to head to the Gerudo Valley in order to do some searching for clues on whether it was him that was behind this, It was then that a massive sandstorm came in from the desert and swallowed the fortress whole. I barely managed to escape, but before I did I saw his dark figure standing in the clouds of sand. I'm sure of it, but now that I am I'm also sure that our only hope is that the Hero of Time is going to return as well. However, there's absolutely no sign of him._

_-Next Page-_

_"Today... It was the Zoras that found themselves victim to Ganon's wrath. I told my father what I saw yesterday, and even though he finally believes me he still refuses to give up! All he did was go on about how Hyrule will never fall. He won't give up the battle and the Legendary Hero while arrive to save us like he always does. Doesn't he see what's happening? Why does he always have to be so stubborn?"_

_-Next Page-_

_"I can't believe this! It was the Gorons this time! Based on his previous pattern. I had a hunch that they'd be next in line and went to Death Mountain to evacuate all those who would listen to me though some insisted on staying. I hope they're alright. I can't believe you Father! I keep telling you it's time to escape from Hyrule to avoid anymore bloodshed. If we continue to stay not only will the castle fall, but the two other Triforce pieces we've been keeping here for generations will fall into his hands putting the whole world at risk. I'm beginning to think it's time to take matters into my own hands._

_-Next Page-_

_"Alright. Everything is now in place for my plan. I've gotten my most trusted servants to agree to come with me. I've managed to collect the sacred Ocarina, the Gossip Stones, and both of the Triforce pieces the Royal Family has. For those I plan to break them into pieces to keep them from falling into the wrong hands. I'll keep a piece of the Triforce of Wisdom with me as a precaution and scatter the rest. Time is running short. I don't know exactly where we'll be headed, but we simply must get out of here. I'm sorry Father. I know you mean well, but your old fashioned thinking is going to doom us all. Hyrule is finished. It's time to move on. Why couldn't you see that..."_

"and that's where the writing in here ends," Tetra concluded.

"I guess if they were forced to abandon freshly cooked meals in the chaos it's understandable that she might leave her diary behind by mistake," Nick noted

"So that's it huh?" Tetra sighed, "She just went and ran away from her kingdom when things got tough..."

"I wouldn't quite say that," Nick replied, "We still don't know exactly what she did after she left."

"And how are we supposed to figure that one out? The stuff down here will only help us figure out what happened to Hyrule. Not what happened after it."

Nick then took a brief moment to think about the very good point his friend just made.

"Well..." he then began to propose, "There's something else we could try and figure out from what we already know. Did your mother know about any of this?"

"She never said anything to me that would directly imply that she did," Tetra explained, "and any clues that would are probably all on my pirate ship which we can't even get to right now."

Upon hearing Tetra's mention of the items on her ship Nick immediately became flustered. The remark forced him to remember where he had been and what he had taken which was still in his bag.

"What's wrong Nick?" Tetra asked slightly concerned.

"N-nothing Zelda. A-a thought just occurred to m-me is all," he stammered, "Let's just head back to that chamber the king put you in for now. It's probably safer for us down there anyway..."

"Okay," she agreed as she headed with him out of the room back the way they came.

They retraced their steps all the way back down to the main hall of the castle. As they came back to the statue of the Hero of Time and the hidden staircase by it Nick once again took notice to the portrait in the room of Princess Zelda and her servants.

"Tell me Zelda," Nick began as they both slipped into the basement at Tetra closed the entrance behind them, "Have any of your crew ever mentioned a family history of being on your ship?"

"I know my grandmother was the captain before my mother was. Gonzo sometimes mentioned how his father served on the ship before he did, but that's about it," she responded, "We usually avoid those types of conversations."

"I understand..." he murmured as they made their way to the bottom chamber. Upon getting they he immediately noticed the stained glass images that decorated the walls, "the Sages..."

"The what?" Tetra asked.

"Rauru, Saria, Darunia, Ruto, Impa, and Nabooru," Nick listed off, "The Six Sages from each of Hyrule's most prominent races who combined their strength with the Hero of Time and Princess Zelda to seal Ganondorf away all those centuries ago..."

"I see," Tetra nodded, "So what was on your mind that you brought me down here for?"

Deciding it was best to just get it over with Nick sat down with a deep breath and removed his backpack.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

"For what?"

"When you left me on your ship at the Forsaken Fortress I was in a bit of panic. Because of that, in the short time I had alone, I decided to go searching your ship for clues since you wouldn't listen to me, and as I did so I took something with me..."

He then took the chest he had taken from Tetra's cabin out of his backpack to finish his point.

Tetra rubbed her eyes for a moment out of disbelief at what she was seeing. Taking in the surprise all she could do is whimper, "How could you..."

"I'm sorry!" Nick raised his voice, "I told you that I was panicking! I knew if I didn't take it then you never would've given me the chance to look at it! I felt like I had no choice! I messed up!"

"You don't understand," she stated softly, "The reason it was hidden and locked up is because I never wanted to see it again... It just hurts too much... to remember her..."

"Please Zelda..." Nick pleaded, "Just give me the combination to open it... I know this wasn't the right thing to do but we need to do this... together..."

Tetra began to shake lightly as she wrestled with her inner most memories and emotions.

"Please..." Nick continued, "You trusted me with your feelings back then... Just let me in one more time..."

"32,42,03" Tetra finally gave in... "Just turn away from me when you're looking. I don't want to see what's in there right now..."

Nick was slightly disappointed but knew with Tetra one always has to take what little they can get. Without a moment to spare he popped open the chest and looked inside to find two items.

The first item on top was enough to blow Nick away in complete surprise. It was a blue ocarina with the crest of the Royal Family engraved into it. He immediately took out his documents just to make sure. A few minutes of reading left no doubt as to its identity.

"This is the fabled Ocarina of Time..." Nick whispered to himself in shock, "Just as Zelda's diary said. Tetra knew how to play the song of the Royal Family on my ocarina... I guess this is the ocarina that she learned it on..."

The other item that was in the chest was a very worn out book. The cover was faded, and some of the edges were slightly torn. A quick skim of the pages soon revealed it to be the journal of Tetra's mother.

"Thankfully it's written in English," Nick noted, "It'd simply be too much to ask of Tetra to read all of this for me."

The majority of the pages were simply accounts of the old captain's adventures and her time with her lovely daughter Tetra. However, as the approached the final pages of the journal Nick's eyes began to gradually widen as he read over her last days alive. Upon reaching the final page Nick felt as if his heart was about to rip in two. He was left almost completely speechless at Tetra's mom's final words except for two quiet words.

"Oh hell..."

Nick then sat in silence for a few moments trying to figure out the next move. He shot a glance over his shoulder to Tetra who was sitting quietly with her back to him.

"Zelda... I'm sorry," Nick apologized again, "but you absolutely need to hear what's written at the end of your mom's journal."

"I thought I already told you I didn't want anything to do with that chest. That's why I let you open it"

"I know..." Nick emphasized, "but you have to hear this."

"I'm going to have to refuse your offer Nick."

"You don't understand Zelda. When I say you _have_ to hear this we're at a point where limited time really won't let me offer you a choice on this. I'm sorry. I'm hoping we can make this easy..."

"You seem to forget who you're talking to," she hissed starting to show some anger towards him, "I am Princess Zelda as you said yourself. It's your duty to obey my orders and I order you to let it go."

"It's interesting to see you haven't lost your old temper, but don't think you can pull that crap on me," Nick snapped back pinching his right ear, "My rounded ears identify me as a regular human. Your pointed ears recognize you as a Hylian. Though I've enjoyed researching your kingdom I would never have been an actual citizen of it and thus have no true obligation to follow your orders. Now please don't make this more difficult than it already is."

The pair proceeded to stare each other for the next few minutes. Each waiting for the other to make the first move. Eventually Nick decided to take the initiative and opened the journal again in preparation to simply read it aloud.

_"I don't know..."_

This prompted Tetra to run over and tackle him to the stone floor before he could even finish the first few words. The two wrestled for a little bit before Tetra found herself on top of Nick with his arms pinned to the ground.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she yelled at him, "I thought we were friends!"

In that instant Nick found his own burst of strength and used it to flip Tetra off him him so he was now the one pinning her down.

"That's exactly why I'm doing this! Because we're friends! I said it before but YOU-HAVE-TO-HEAR-THIS! I couldn't make you listen to me on the ship so I'm going make sure that you listen to me now!"

Nick's uncharacteristic persistence finally got through to Tetra as she stopped struggling.

"Fine," she conceded, "Tell me what it says..."

"Finally, "Nick exhaled as he looked down into the journal's pages and began to read out loud.

_"I don't know just how much time I have left as this illness continues to eat away at me from the inside, but I'm guessing that it isn't much. I don't have any major regrets. I lived a grand life of adventure on the seas and gave birth to a beautiful daughter. I'm quite satisfied with how things turned out. However I'm worried about how little everyone is going to handle losing me. That's what hurts the most. I'm trying to remain strong for her and the crew, but they're slowly catching on. I'm especially concerned about Tetra as the day will come that she will have to face her heritage as I did when my mother told me. I only wish I could be by her side when she does learn the truth. I could tell her now before I go, but it simply wouldn't be fair to leave someone so young and precious to me alone with a heavy burden like that. All I can do is entrust her with our family's most sacred relic and pray to the Goddesses for the best for her. I was told by my own mother that the original captain of our crew, the last true Princess Zelda, set sail with her servants in hopes of finding the land that would be the New Hyrule after the original one was destroyed just as our crew has done for generations ever since. I used to feel resentment for this decision and this task. I felt like all we were doing is looking for another land for our family to rule until it was destroyed as a result of repeating the same mistakes as before, but as I've thought about it over the years I've begun to realize that that's wrong. The more I look into it the more I see this journey was about casting off the mistakes of the past than just forgetting them. To find a new land untainted by stubborn, old-fashioned thinking to have a fresh start without the laws of the past to lead it to ruination once again. It's a shame I realized this too late to have the chance to fulfill this mission. I can only hope you figure this out yourself before it's too late Tetra. If you are reading this one day I hope this isn't too much for you to handle, but even if it is I want you to know that I will always love and be watching over you from above, but even without me you should be fine. You'll be inheriting a fine crew to whom I'd entrust my life to ten times over without hesitation. Not only that, but I see you've got some fine friends yourself. Particularly that kid on Windfall Island. It's commonly believed that our family was wiped out centuries ago. I can't help but laugh to myself at how you managed to become best friends with the one person who didn't. Is it just ironic or maybe even fate itself? I wonder if he'll actually manage to figure out who you really are. I can only pray that he'll be there for you when the time comes since I can't be, but that's probably asking too much. Even if he doesn't perhaps the Hero of Time may even finally return to save you when you need it. Now I'm even starting to make myself laugh with my own fantasies. All I want for you more than anything though is for you to always remember who you are. No matter what happens to you or what anyone tells you about who you are I want you to remember something. To the people and even the Goddesses you may be Princess Zelda, but to me you'll always be my little Tetra. I love you and I'll miss you. Goodbye..."_

Reaching the end of the entry Nick solemnly closed the journal and looked back up at Tetra who was just seemingly frozen in place without any sound or move aside from the tears now streaming down her face. She was now visibly worse than even when Nick had first found her here. Though earlier it was a cry of despair this was just years of suppressed sorrow forcing its way to the surface. Deciding it was best to just give her some quiet to take this is in Nick simply outstretched his right arm for her to take. She grabbed it and used it to slowly pull herself into his right shoulder to continue her soft sobbing. The wetness in his shoulder caused a flashback within Nick's own mind. All the way back to the last time he had seen her like this...

_-2 years earlier on Windfall Island-_

"Nick! Are you working on your studies of Hyrule?" A woman called into the window of one the houses in town.

"Yes Mom!" Nick called back, "What's up?"

"A ship just came into the port." she announced "It's the ship that friend of yours sails on. Just in case you wanted to see her."

"Thanks I will," Nick announced as he came outside. It was your typical day on Windfall. Partly cloudy while not being too hot or too cold. He scanned the area in an effort to find her as he then saw the pirate crew moving towards the town's bar in a large group. As Nick approached them he immediately noticed that they all looked brutally depressed.

"What's wrong guys?" Nick questioned the crew

"Oh, you're that kid that Miss Tetra always hangs out with when we come here."

"Yeah I am. Where is she anyway? and her mom, your captain, too?"

The group exchanged several nervous glances before Mako gathered the courage to speak up.

"The captain, Miss Tetra's mother, is dead..." Mako explained, "We just returned from her burial at sea..."

"That's awful!" Nick gasped, "What happened to her? What about Tetra?"

"She got sick," Mako clarified," Such is life on the seas. As for Tetra she's currently at the ship. She has to be ready for she is going to be the new captain."

"What? Why?"

"It's apparently tradition for the first born daughter of the previous captain to take over as the new captain when she dies in our crew. It sounds strange but that family always produces such effective pirates that we don't dare question it. Be warned though. If you want to see her Tetra's not really willing to talk to anybody right now."

"I'll take my chances," Nick declared as he headed back to the ship at the dock. He looked over at the ship and then to the pier to see Tetra sitting on the end of it looking into the water with her back towards him. Nick couldn't see her face, but he could clearly see the tiny ripples that kept coming out from the water in front of her.

"Tetra..." Nick softly called for her, "Are you okay?"

Hearing his voice Tetra quickly rubbed her face into her arm and whipped her head around to check the source of the voice.

"Who's there?" she snapped before noticing it was her friend, "Oh it's you. What do you want Nick?"

"To see you like I always do," He replied as he approached her and took a seat next to her. She may have tried to pretend she wasn't crying but those red eyes weren't going to be fooling anyone anytime soon.

"I'm not interested in company right now," she stated sternly, "If you came here I'm guessing you already know what happened."

"I do."

"Don't go thinking I need your pity then. I've got nothing to be sad about. People die all the time. It would've happened sooner or later. What's the point of being sad about it. I'm a pirate captain now. Tears are worthless to someone like me."

"That's fine. I expected you to say something like that. I know you don't mean it though and just want you to know that I know you're probably hurting like never before and that I'm here for you. My parents always told me that it's important to be able to cry. That letting out your emotions is always more difficult than holding them in. I'm sure even the Hero of Time cried when he saw the devastation inflicted on his home by the great evil of legend."

"Those old legends have nothing to do with me."

"That's probably true, but my point is nobody's invincible. I can't imagine what I'd do without my parents. I'd have nobody to keep me company, to talk to me, to play with me, or to offer me a shoulder to lean on when I need it. Actually I take that back. That's all wrong..."

"What do you mean that's all wrong?"

"Now that I think about it I guess I'd still have you. Just like you still have me. I can keep you company, talk to you, play with you, and give you a shoulder to lean on when you need it. So I guess you don't have to be sad after all."

Tetra paused for a moment.

"Do you mean that?" she asked weakly

"Of course I do."

She then grabbed him by the sleeve trembling, "Then you had better swear not to tell... anyone... about... this"

Without another word she buried her face into his chest and began to let out all of her pain into her best friend's shirt. Nick remained calm and placed comforting arm around her back.

"I swear I won't tell a soul," he promised her.

-End Flashback-

Nick relaxed as Tetra continued to cry into his shoulder while he was gradually helping to calm her down again.

"The more things change the more they stay the same," he murmured, "If your mom is no longer with us I'm willing to help you like this whenever you need it.

Nick felt her weakly nod her head against him. After a few more minutes she had finally stopped crying completely and just was resting her head against him.

"Zelda... I know that was hard on you but I hope you see now why I had to force it on you like that. I was surprised myself when I saw it, but I hope you know what you have to do..."

Tetra slowly moved her arms up and around Nick's back and pulled him into another hug. She then pulled her head up to look at him with a smile and a wink. It was smile and wink that it had been for too long for Nick since he'd last seen it.

"Please," she grinned, "Call me Tetra."

Nick returned the smile, "I was hoping that you'd say that Tetra."

To be continued...

A/N: I must admit I never imagined this story would turn out to be so sad when I first thought of it.


	7. Preparing to Fight Back

The pair separated with a friendly high five. Glad to have his friend back to her old self Nick was finally able to turn his attention back to the reason he had come all this way in the first place. With all that he learned and saw since arriving he took out his own personal notes which he kept along with his parents' documents he began to write down the information that he had managed to gather through all of this. Knowing how involved he can get in his work Tetra went off the the edge of the room and began to look at her reflection in the stream surrounding the room as she ran her finger through it to distort it as a means of entertainment for herself.

Nick definitely had a lot to get down, but he really had to wonder over what should and shouldn't leave this castle. As much as finding Princess Zelda was probably the greatest accomplishment of his life he really had doubts whether he should make any recording of her true identity. The last thing he wanted was to subject Tetra to the obsession of those who also love to study the history of Hyrule. Some might even come after her for it, not that he doubted her ability to fight them off. Plus there was the ethics of publishing someone's personal diary as evidence to consider. He had already done enough things wrong to get this far. The last thing he wanted to do was to make a spectacle out of it.

Tetra had a lot to consider herself. She had finally come to terms with her own past and heritage. The question now was what she was going to do about it. She still wished that she could help out Link directly somehow. In all of the stress since her transformation she had nearly forgotten about him, but now that she was feeling better, and even though she was glad to have Nick to keep her company now, she began to realize how much she honestly missed him. What her and Nick had been doing was nothing compared to Link having to work his way through dungeons and fight monsters. She felt like she owed it to him to do more, but she still wasn't sure exactly what she could do. She had already tried to fight Ganondorf once and knew all too well how that turned out for her, but then something occurred to her.

"Hey Nick," she got her friend's attention, "I've got something I want to ask you."

"Yeah," he responded continuing his writing, "What is it?"

"This might sound strange to ask, but exactly what's so special about being Princess Zelda?"

"Special? Well I mean you get the dress and the castle, but for a pirate like you I guess there's..."

"No not like that," she interrupted him, "I mean in a mystical sense. Like why is Ganondorf after me?"

"He wants the Triforce of Wisdom you're holding on to. I thought you knew that."

"Yes, but why me? Why would the King feel the need to entrust me with it?"

"Hmm. You said he said something about the laws of the past."

"Yeah, but why were those laws established? How easy is it to kidnap a princess compared to a knight or something? I know I'm an exception to the rule but I have to admit that a lot of girls tend to be pretty wimpy."

"You're really digging deep on this one. I have a hunch where this is going, but I'm going to ask anyway to be sure. Exactly why do you want to know so badly?"

Tetra paused for a moment before answering.

"I want to fight him," she admitted

"I thought so," Nick remarked.

"This power of mine," she continued, "It must be something else for someone who's already as strong as he is to want it so badly. There has to be some way I can take that power and turn it against him. I can't let Link go it alone... I just can't... bare to see him get hurt protecting me..."

An awkward silence fell over the room upon this confession of Tetra's. The princess began to blush furiously upon realizing what she had just said as her friend took on the type of satisfied smirk that she would often employ.

"You really care about him huh Tetra?" Nick goaded her.

"Of course not!" Tetra retreated from her comments, "It's just my pride as a captain telling me to fight rather than letting someone else fight for me."

"Your new complexion doesn't hide your blush very well."

"Hey back off! I-I just don't know alright!"

"That's a shame because I could've sworn I had an idea for you to help out against Ganon, but when you said that it just suddenly vanished from my mind!"

"Oh, now you're just being unfair!"

"I probably get that from hanging out with you. Sort of like how for some reason any spare rupees I have lying around tend to vanish when you visit."

"It's finders keepers when you're a pirate!"

"Whatever you say princess."

"Okay, what do you want from me?"

"A full confession of love to Link the next time you see him."

"Stop acting stupid. The fate of the world is at stake here so get serious!"

"Fine, fine," he finally gave in, "Just give me a few minutes to look through my stuff. I think there's something in these papers that might help you."

Tetra waited impatiently as Nick dug through his sheets. Before long he found one in particular that seemed to catch his eye and began reading it over.

"Here it is as I thought it was," he announced, "Though you already know about the Master Sword there are actually two weapons that the Hero of Time used to defeat Ganondorf the first time. The second weapon was the mysterious projectiles known as the Light Arrows that the Princess Zelda of the time provided to him. With the lack of any known surviving members of the Royal Family not much is known about them aside from a handful of rumors. The most popular one is that they were powered by the intensity of her love for the Hero of Time. Something you must embrace for yourself if you are to have any hope of wielding them!"

"Love for the hero huh?" Tetra repeated to herself quietly as she looked down and away from Nick, "If that's what it takes I guess I have no choice..."

She took a deep breath to prepare herself and turned back toward Nick.

"Okay Nick I understand. I-" she began before stopping herself after getting a look at her friend's face. It was tense and contorted as if he was fighting his hardest not to... laugh!

"You were about to say it weren't you?" he grinned wildly as he continued to fight the urge to laugh.

It only took her a brief moment to understand what he meant by this.

"Oh, knock it off!" she yelled at him with a back handed slap across his face, "I thought I told you to get serious!"

"It doesn't change what you were about to say," he retorted.

"You know something? You suck! I don't know why I even bother coming to you for help!"

"Okay, okay. No more jokes from now on. I promise."

"You had better!"

"No need for the attitude. Now as I was saying the actual rumors are that on top of the Triforce of Wisdom there was a second mystical power of Light passed down within the female heirs of the Royal Family. It's pretty easy to believe when you consider how throughout its history the princesses of Hyrule were sometimes held in higher regard than even the kings. Little is known about this mysterious power but it's often believed that when this power is concentrated into a weapon it gains the power to penetrate even the Evil King's defenses. It was just usually preferred to do this with an arrow."

"So I just need to pour this energy into a bow and arrow and fire?"

"That's how it sounds at least. Exactly how to do this is something you'll have to figure out on your own."

"but all of my weapons, including my bow, are back on my ship."

"Then maybe it was the Goddesses themselves that sent me here though I highly doubt that," Nick responded with a relaxed chuckle.

"What do you mean by that?"

"When I first set sail from Windfall I had no way of knowing exactly how this would turn out. I even anticipated that I might end up in a fight or two. Because of that I brought my own bow and arrows with me. You can use those for practice."

He took out the items in question from his backpack and handed them to Tetra.

"The rest is up to you," Nick concluded.

"Got it." Tetra agreed as she readied her first arrow and tightened her concentration, "I just need to focus..."

Her mind shifted back to when she first tried to use her power in escaping from the hidden chamber they were now in. She focused her strength into the arrow as she had done with the statue earlier. In a few seconds the arrow began to glow a shade of bright yellow resembling the sun very sun in the sky.

"Alright! I did it!" she announced with pride as she prepared to fire it off into the wall

She pulled it back and prepared to release it. Just before she could fire it off though the wooden arrow exploded in her grasp in an incredible flash of light. Being caught off guard the two kids could only shield their eyes in pain.

"I guess I overdid it," Tetra corrected herself rubbing her eyes.

"This might take a while," Nick sighed to himself as he regained his composure.

"Sorry about that," she apologized.

"It's fine. Keep working on it. I'll be here filling out my research if you need me. It's not as if I have a choice anyway at the moment with the exit closed off."

Tetra resumed practicing as Nick continued his work. He ran through his collection of info at an amazing pace as he continued to confirm and debunk the theories about the kingdom of Hyrule with all of that he had witnessed firsthand in these past few hours. He would occasionally raise his head to watch Tetra take her practice shots. Sometimes they would explode before hitting their target and others they would just fly off in random directions. Yet as he watched her sweat with exhaustion from her attempts and read over the stories contained in his parents' sheets an unfortunate realization slowly set in. Though the thought had occurred to him earlier it didn't take precedence in his mind as it was starting to now. Link was taking too long and from Tetra's description of the events he didn't expect to be seeing him anytime soon. More so than that though another thought crept on him. Nick didn't care what the king might have said. Ganondorf was going to find the two of them sooner or later. There was no denying that. There was simply no hiding from a man with the power he wields, and he also knew that there was no way to fight him off even if Tetra were to master the Light Arrows in time. At this point there was probably only one option left to them. His depressing thoughts were soon interrupted by flash of light flying over his head and and it the wall with an audible impact.

"This time I really did it!" Tetra declared with pride and joy.

"Well done," Nick congratulated her, "I thought we'd run out of time before you mastered it."

"And now I'm ready to blow Ganon away even if he does show up for me."

Nick paused with a deep breath.

"Tetra, do you trust Link?" he asked.

"Are you getting back into that romantic crap again," she replied, "I told you I-"

"Do you trust Link?" Nick repeated in a much more serious voice.

Tetra was caught off guard by his sudden shift in tone.

"... Yes I do," she responded after a moment of silence.

"Now do you trust me?" Nick then added.

"What?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do," Tetra answered nervously, "Why are you asking this now?"

"Because I've got something else to tell you... and you're not gonna like it..."

"Go ahead. I can take it."

"From this point on I want you to power up as many arrows as you possibly can..."

"Okay..."

"And if Ganon should arrive here before Link makes it back..."

Nick paused. It really hurt him that he was about to say what he was about to say.

"Come on... What do you plan to do about him?" Tetra implored him to answer.

"...You're going to surrender to him and go without a fight..."

Each of them fell silent after this. Nick in disbelief of what he had just said and Tetra in disbelief of what she had just heard.

"...What was that?" Tetra asked him to clarify.

"You're going to go with him without a fight! You trust me right?" Nick shouted hating having to repeat what already hurt to say once.

"Yeah, but... then what was the point of the arrows? I thought I was supposed to use those to fight him off!"

"You can't defeat Ganondorf with those alone! You need the Master Sword! You need Link!"

"Then why should I even bother with the arrows?"

"Let me finish first! If he takes you I want you to hide all of the arrows you've prepared in your dress! As soon as you get an opening I want you to leave them in a location along the way to his hideout or whatever where you believe that Link will be able to find them. If you trust him like you say you did then you can leave the rest to him."

"Why don't you just give them to him?"

"I don't fully understand them and if something goes wrong I won't have you around to make more. It's our best bet if you handle them."

"...I suppose... but... I mean we could at least try..."

"No! If our attack fails, which it would, it would put all of our efforts up until now to waste! You think I like saying this? Of course not! I'm saying it because I know it's true. We have no choice. If it comes to that we have to put our faith in Link or risk dooming everyone!"

Tetra looked at Nick's stern expression and then strolled around the room to look at her own face in the water. She knew he was right.

"Okay," she conceded, "I'll get to work on it right away."

"Thank you," Nick exhaled softly.

Tetra went into Nick's bag to take out his remaining arrows when she noticed the pictobox he had been using earlier.

"Hey Nick," she began, "Before I do that why don't you get a picture with me? You said you wanted one of me earlier in the throne room."

"H-Huh?" Nick stuttered, "I meant that as more of a joke. I mean... I don't want to turn you into a research project over this... I feel like that'd just be exploiting the situation..."

"It's no problem at all!" she assured him, "We can be in it together. That way when this ordeal is over and the world is saved we can have something to remember this by."

"Are you sure about this?" Nick asked as Tetra positioned herself next to him with a smile

"Of course I am. Now say cheese!" Tetra ordered him as she wrapped her right arm tightly around his shoulder and positioned the pictobox with her left arm to capture them both.

Seeing how sincere his best friend was Nick couldn't help but catch her grin just in time for her to snap the picture. Tetra then took her arm off of him and began to skim through the pictographs that were already stored.

"They all turned out well. Especially the one we just took. You'll have to give me a copy later," she remarked, "Now that that's settled I've got a job to do."

Without another word she took a seat in the center of the room where the Master Sword once rested and began to work her magic into the arrows that she had collected. Watching her immediately begin to work so hard based on her faith in his words alone Nick immediately began to feel that he owed it to her to do something to return the favor. He grabbed his documents and took a seat next to her.

"While you're working on that," Nick commented, "I feel it would only be fair if I shared with you everything I know about this... no YOUR kingdom. In fact I'd actually be humbled to."

"Sure. I wouldn't mind hearing what you have to say." Tetra agreed.

"I appreciate it... Princess. You truly are everything I'd ever hoped you'd be..." he thanked her, "Now it all began with three golden goddesses..."

To be continued...


	8. Saying Goodbye

_-One hour later-_

"So what you're saying is that I have the power to turn into a guy?" Tetra questioned Nick with confusion.

"Yes... I-I mean no!" Nick stammered in a panic, "Well, I mean nobody knows for sure whether Sheik was supposed to be a guy. All I have are a few descriptions and crude drawings. Sheik could still be a girl..."

"I don't know... Sheik sounds like a guy's name to me..." Tetra noted

"It could be a girl's name!" Nick insisted.

"And these descriptions make him slash her seem like a guy..."

"The hair and body could go either way. Besides... Even if the disguise was intended to seem like it was a male. I can't imagine that she actually... you know..."

There was an awkward pause in the room as Tetra's face turned into a mischievous grin.

"Well then," she began as she place her hands together as if to prepare a spell, "There's only one way to find out then isn't there..."

"MOVING ON!" Nick halted her in a hurry, "Zelda gave the Light Arrows to the Hero of Time, Ganon abducted her, the hero went after her, stabbed Ganon in the face, the Sages sealed him away, and the hero finally disappeared without a trace as everyone lived happily ever after!"

Nick sat panting heavily as Tetra burst into laughter at the way Nick rushed to end the story.

"So Nick," Tetra giggled, "there actually are some things even you're afraid to look into."

"It would seem so..." he huffed.

""I wasn't actually going to do it you know."

"With you I can never be sure..."

"But isn't that what makes me so much fun to be around?"

"Yeah..."

Tetra took a moment to look at the bundle of Light Arrows she had prepared and then back to her friend.

"I must admit," she remarked with a smile, "I know things started out badly... but I've been having fun today."

"Yeah..." Nick quietly agreed, "Me too."

They exchanged another smile as the peaceful mood was then interrupted by the sudden sound of an explosion coming from above them.

"And right on cue..." Nick muttered.

Nick and Tetra gave each other a nod as she prepared to take the Light Arrows with her in her dress. As she did a powerful voice came booming into the room.

"Princess Zelda!" it announced, "I don't know exactly what you're up to, but you are a fool if you really think you're safe from me here in the castle! I will find you in here and when I do the power of the Goddesses will finally be where it belongs! I shall return the rays of the sun to this land and Hyrule will finally be mine!"

"Arrogant jackass," Nick clenched his teeth.

"Don't worry Nick," Tetra assured him as she finished hiding the arrows in her clothes, "I promise that I'll make sure he gets his one way or another."

Tetra stood up and prepared to leave as Nick looked over his surroundings one more time.

"If you have anything more than the arrows it'll look suspicious. Just leave everything else with me. Once Link gets back I'm probably going to head home since the exit should be open. I'll give it back to you if we see each other again"

"You mean WHEN we see each other again," she sternly corrected him, "As soon as this is settled I promise that the first thing I'm going to do is come to visit you."

"Thanks Tetra," he replied solemnly.

The two then heard what sounded like the statue blocking the basement starting to be moved out of the way.

"I knew that thing wouldn't do us any good," Nick scoffed, "I guess it's time for you to go then..."

"Yeah..." Tetra complied.

She prepared to turn to leave as she took one more look at her friend. His expression had changed. His smile was replaced with a flat frown. He was beginning to shake all over with frustration. Not wanting to leave him like this Tetra went back over to him and wrapped her arms around him one last time. He didn't return it but simply leaned into her

"What are you doing..." he asked flatly, "You have to hurry."

"I'm willing to risk it. This time you look like the one who really needs this..." she consoled him.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "I'm just too useless. I spent years searching for Zelda only to now find myself turning her over to a madman without so much as a word. Even worse I'm also selling out my closest friend. I don't know if I'll ever be able to live with myself for this. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Of course you idiot! You haven't done anything wrong. I'm afraid of where I'd be right now if you hadn't come all the way out here. You did that all just for me, and I'll always be grateful for that. Link may be the one to save me from Ganondorf, but you were the one to save me... from myself."

She then gave him the greatest surprise of these past few days as she separated from him with a quick kiss on his right cheek. Nick stood in awe as he slowly rubbed his face with his hand unsure of what he just actually felt.

"W-what was that?" he stuttered.

"A parting gift from Princess Zelda," she explained as she walked away to the staircase that left the room. She stopped at the entrance and turned around with a wink and smile, "You just had better not expect Tetra to ever do anything like that in the future."

"I'll keep that in mind," Nick replied with a relaxed sigh.

Tetra prepared to leave as she threw him one final thumbs up. Nick returned the gesture as she finally disappeared into the stairwell. He remained silent as he heard some rustling and some footsteps over the course of the next few minutes. Eventually the noise stopped and Nick collapsed with exhaustion. He did his est to stay strong for her as she left, but who was he kidding? There was no way he could forgive himself until she came back safely, and even then this would probably haunt him until the day he died. Deciding to get his mind on other things he decided to get back to the research he originally intended to do when he first arrived. Nick removed the pictobox from his bag again and began to take pictographs of the sacred chamber he was now alone in. After getting everything he wanted to he gathered his remaining items and began to work his way back into the main hall. As he walked he began to skim through the pictographs he had already taken. Tetra said they had turned out fine earlier, but he just wanted to double check. As he roamed around, despite originally coming here by himself, he actually began to feel alone for the first time. He felt an empty solitude unlike anything before in his young life. It was then as he walked by the portrait of Princess Zelda again that he saw it; the picture Tetra took with him as Zelda. Looking at both of their smiles, especially Tetra's, was enough to make him feel sick after thinking of what he just did. Before long it became too much for him to handle...

"DAMN IT!" he cursed as he punched the castle wall with all of his might. He turned around and weakly slumped against the wall with his head buried in his hands.

-Hours later-

Nick had tried his best to sleep as he waited for Link to return, but the guilt was too much. Whenever he felt himself beginning to dose off the nightmares quickly snapped him back to reality. Feeling too much pain to continue his work he just blankly stared up into the ceiling as he awaited his chance to leave.

After some time had passed he finally heard another voice from another young boy like him.

"I can't believe we just left her behind like that!" it shouted.

Nick looked over to see a bot in a green tunic rushing for the castle's rear exit.

"I guess that's my cue to get going and leave this to the real heroes..." Nick noted to himself as he then noticed a second person standing by the statue of the Hero of Time. It was a large man with a gray beard, red cloak, and a crown. It didn't take him long to identify the man as the king of Hyrule from the portrait he saw earlier.

"I can't believe Ganon actually found her here..." the king murmured to himself.

Nick had originally planned on leaving without a word, but seeing the king in person for the first time made something boil inside of him. Everything he had learned went rushing through his head until he finally snapped.

"This... THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Nick screamed at the king from his spot on the balcony.

The king quickly snapped his head around to check for the source of the voice.

"What was that?" the king panicked before noticing the brown haired boy running down to face him with with a nasty glare in his eyes, "Who are you? How did you get here?"

""I'm..." Nick began as he approached the subject of his current anger, "a close friend of Princess Zelda... and as for how I got down here I'll just say that you left the door open."

"I'm sorry," the king attempted to apologize, "I just never imagined that she'd be discovered her."

Nick was far from being in the mood for comforting words.

"Well of course she was!" he snapped, "After what happened centuries ago how can you continue to underestimate Ganon like this? You should've known she'd need some real protection rather than just a hiding spot!"

"And what would you know about any of that?" the king asked surprised.

"Oh no!" Nick stopped him, "I'm the one asking the questions here! Speaking of which just what the hell were you thinking lumping all of these responsibilities on a couple of kids you don't even know? Don't you think Zelda would've been safer without knowing her identity? Why did you have to give her the entire Triforce of Wisdom and turn her into a target? Do you have any idea how much you hurt her by placing all of that on her and then leaving without a word? I'm sure it's a lot worse than anything Ganon might be doing to her right now!"

"It's the laws of Hyrule," the king stated, "I know you children are too young to understand, but this is simply the way things must be."

"Oh I understand alright!" Nick loudly objected, "I understand that this place is nothing but a relic of a mistake-ridden past! I studied and admired the kingdom of Hyrule for what it used to be! Not for what it is now! Even if things turn out the way you want them to exactly what do you plan to do then? Evacuate everybody from the islands above to return them to your wasteland under the sea? I can tell you one thing for sure. That's exactly what Ganondorf wants to do, and at this point you might as well be the same person!"

"Now that's going too far..." the king attempted to lecture the boy.

"I certainly don't see the difference!" Nick continued, "At this point you're both nothing but old ghosts of a kingdom that was long since destroyed. Each of you is trying to get things back to the way they were despite how far the rest of the world has moved on without you! You mentioned the laws of Hyrule... What purpose do they serve... When will you see? When will you realize?... NOTHING REMAINS OF HYRULE!"

"I..." the king attempted to begin.

"Actually forget it," Nick stopped him, "I really don't care. I don't want know... You know what I do want though... I want this place to finally disappear once and for all. Perhaps for the ocean above us to just come down and wash this place clean away! Once it does maybe the world can finally, truly, move on and begin to rebuild. Rebuild with a new kingdom that far surpasses what Hyrule once was! I guess I can at least dream of the day that happens huh?"

The king now stood in silence pondering over Nick's outburst.

"Whatever," Nick spoke up after a few moments, "Is the exit to this place open for me to get out of here?"

"Yes..." the king confirmed.

"Good," Nick declared, "because as a wise man once said "Screw you guys! I'm going home!" I never want to see this place again!"

Without another word Nick gathered his things and stormed out of the castle leaving the king to continue thinking about what he said. Nick hopped into his boat and maneuvered his way into the portal of light leading out of Hyrule.

"I've done all that I can," he said to himself as his boat began to rise, "the rest is up to you.. Tetra."

Upon reaching the surface he immediately set his course to get himself back to Windfall Island as fast as he could. After some time sailing he spotted a large ship coming into his path. It didn't take him long to realize that it was Tetra's ship with her crew on it.

"Hey you! Kid!" Nick heard somebody call down from on board the vessel.

"You talking to me?" Nick called back as he stopped his boat next to the ship.

"Yeah... you're Miss Tetra's friend aren't you?" Gonzo leaned over the side to ask him.

"Yeah I am," Nick answered, "the name's Nick if you'll ever bother to remember it."

"Never mind that!" Gonzo interrupted him, "Do you know what happened to the captain? You left around the same time she did!"

Nick considered his answer carefully for a moment. They were obviously concerned, but it would probably be best if he allowed Tetra to be the one to give them all of the details. He took out a spare map he kept on his boat and began to mark Hyrule's location on it.

"Yeah I know where she is!" he called back climbing up the side of the pirate ship, "Just go to the location I've marked on this map!"

"Okay," Gonzo accepted the map, "Just what happened with you two and the other kid anyway?"

"It's a lot to explain and you probably wouldn't believe it anyway. I'm sure Tetra will have a lot to tell you when you see her again though."

With a wave goodbye Nick went back into his boat and prepared to finish his journey home. Before much longer he got a major sight for his sore eyes of his home island of Windfall off in the distance. The weather was great and the familiar breeze made him realize just how much he had missed this place, but for now he just wanted to go home.

Docking on the island and entering his house he got another sight he had secretly missed. A man with short black hair and a brunette woman greeting him as he went inside.

"N-Nick!" they both happily greeted him, "We noticed you had left when we got back. Welcome home son!"

"Hey Mom! Hey Dad!" Nick greeted them back.

The pair exchanged awkward glances with each other as Nick's parents both seemed as if they had something on their minds.

"S-So Son..." Nick's dad spoke up nervously, "Did you find anything interesting while you were away? Quill said you'd been sailing all over the place when we saw him."

Nick obviously knew what the honest answer was, but he was simply too worn out physically and mentally to deal with it now.

"Nothing. It was a dead end," he lied.

"Your bag looks awfully full," Nick's mom then noted just as nervously, "Anything in there you might want to show us?"

"No... just some useless notes and scribbles mostly," Nick lied again, "What's up? You're both acting weird."

"Nothing's up," they both defended themselves in unison.

Nick could see through their bluff but once again was too tired to care.

"Don't worry about it." Nick sighed, "I'm going to take a nap. I've had enough work for today."

"Y-yeah that sounds like a good idea," Nick's parents agreed as he headed to his room. Once he had closed the door behind him they began to quietly chat amongst themselves.

"He's not telling us anything," Nick's mom remarked, "I guess it must've gotten ugly."

"After what Quill told us there's only one reason our son would act like this," Nick's dad added, "To think that friend of his is actually..."

"I expected an "I told you so", but it really must be a lot for him to handle. I'm sure he'll tell us when he's ready."

Meanwhile Nick collapsed on to his bed with his newest pictographs in hand. A tear rolled down his face as he once again came to the one Tetra gave him.

"Please come back safe..." he prayed one last time as he finally fell asleep for what seemed like the first time in days.

To be continued...


	9. A New Journey

As the young historian finally got some well deserved rest, the continuing events taking place in the undersea kingdom of Hyrule unfolded almost exactly as he had planned. The Hero of Winds proved himself to be every bit the hero the Hero of Time was and the Light Arrows indeed proved to be exactly the edge the Hero and the Princess needed to take the Evil King down once and for all. With the world saved at long last Link and Tetra returned to the surface victorious to be greeted by the pirate's loyal crew. With Ganondorf defeated at long last Link finally managed to return his sister Aryll home safe and sound before joining up with Tetra's crew as they now planned to sail the seas in search of new lands. Perhaps they could even find a land suitable to be able to reform and reestablish the kingdom of Hyrule. As the group set sail once again from Outset Island though, they found their anticipation broken up by a sudden announcement.

"Set course for Windfall Island!" the captain ordered Gonzo.

"Windfall Island?" Gonzo asked, "I thought we were going of in search of new places to explore."

"We are," Tetra clarified, "but there's something of great importance I absolutely must do there before we leave."

"As you wish Miss Zelda."

"For the last time! I told you not to call me that!"

At Tetra's orders Gonzo gave the Helm a quick turn and the crew found themselves back at Windfall Island in a little over an hour. Upon pulling up to shore Tetra quickly jumped off the ship onto the island sand.

"What should the rest of us do?" Niko inquired as the others prepared to disembark.

"Nothing," Tetra waved them off, "Just wait for me here. This is something I need to handle on my own."

As the crew settled down Tetra began a trek up the island that she had made several times before. She did it knowing that this could very well be the last time she ever took this walk. A minute later she found herself once again knocking the front door of the home of her long time friend. Nick's mother soon came to answer the door.

"Excuse me," Tetra politely questioned the older woman, "Is your son home?"

"Oh it's you..." She answered somewhat nervously.

"Yeah it's me... Is he home?" Tetra repeated.

"Yeah. Feel free to come in. he's in his bed. He's barely left his room ever since he got home yesterday from wherever he was though I have a hunch seeing you will do him a lot of good."

"Thank you," Tetra accepted the invitation as she entered the house and quickly headed over to her friend's room where she found Nick lying face up in his bed.

"Hey there pal," she greeted him calmly, "I'm back.

Nick slightly turned his head from his pillow so the two were now making eye contact as he remained silent.

"Why don't we finally get you up," Tetra kindly offered him a hand, "I know you were worried about me but everything went exactly as you hoped it would."

Nick accepted her hand and stood up as she had planned but what she didn't expect was for him to use it as a chance to pull her into a tight hug. Yet even as he held her close to him he still remained blank and silent. He just embraced her quietly without any tears or words for about a minute before releasing her.

"Sorry about that..." he finally spoke up in apology.

"It's fine," she assured him as he sat back down on his bed.

"So everything went well. Ganondorf's gone?"

"Yes," she responded as she took a seat next to him, "and based on exactly how things went I don't think he'll be coming back this time."

Tetra went on to explain to Nick just how things had played out since he had left.

"Those Light Arrows of yours were key to our victory. Perhaps I should even say vital. I don't know if things would have gone so well if you hadn't been there to tell me about them."

"You don't need to say that," Nick dismissed her praise, "It was still your power in those arrows. You and Link did him in. All I really was was an annoying fairy barking instructions in your ear. I don't need any credit."

"If you insist."

"but you know Tetra," Nick chuckled, "the way you delivered the final blow really shows that you haven't changed a bit, Princess Zelda or not. It's just like you always used to do."

"You got me there," she conceded. "I was thinking about all of those kickball games when I came up with that plan."

"Whenever we played kickball with the the kids on the island nobody could ever get you out because whenever you came up to the plate you'd always aim your kicks so that they'd nail the first baseman in the head. Before long it became a Rock-Paper Scissors tournament to decided who'd have to play the position. Even I wasn't fully spared from the misfortune that position brought."

"You know I don't play favorites when it's time to get down to business."

"I know," Nick confirmed, "So what happened after Ganondorf got the Master Sword shoved into his skull?"

"Well Hyrule slowly flooded as the King gave us a few final parting words," Tetra continued.

"So what did the old man have to say?"

"Oddly enough he apologized for all that happened. He took all of the blame for the trouble Hyrule caused on himself, and explained how he felt Hyrule needed to be washed away a way so a prosperous, new kingdom could be founded to replace it."

Nick stared blankly at his friend for a few moments as if in deep thought.

"Is that so?" He asked with a slight smirk.

"Yeah," Tetra agreed slightly confused by Nick's reaction, "We tried to get him to come with us, but he seemed set on disappearing with his kingdom as we rose to the surface. Once we got back to the surface I found myself back to my usual pirate appearance. After that we dropped Link's sister off at Outset Island and came here so I could talk to you."

"That's a shame. I'm going to miss the dress, but on a more serious note, knowing what you do now about yourself, what do you plan to do next?"

"That's actually the number one thing I wanted to talk about with you. I've decided that I'm actually going to set sail in search of a new land so I can reestablish the kingdom of Hyrule."

Nick stared at her slightly wide eyed after this sudden announcement.

"Wow..." he remarked, "I have to admit... that is not what I expected you to do. I certainly didn't think you'd be willing to give up a life of piracy for a life of royalty. Don't tell me you actually plan on going by the name "Zelda" now."

"No I'm not going that far. I don't plan on giving up the pirate life just like that either, but at some point I actually do feel like I owe it not only to the King and my people, but to you as well, to do this. That's only half of it though. I also wanted to say this. As an expert on the original Hyrule and one of my closest friends I'd like to have you come along with me in this search from now on."

Nick's look of surprise shifted to one of nervousness. He fidgeted around for a few seconds before squeaking out a quick, "I don't know..."

"You don't know?" Tetra asked in surprise, "I thought you'd be thrilled at the chance to go resurrect Hyrule with Princess Zelda. Isn't it what you dreamed of?"

"I am.." he began to explained, "Not only am I excited, but I'm honored that you'd invite me to come along with you on this. It's just... I really don't know if I have what it takes. I'm just not sure if I have what it takes. I'm just not a hero or a strapping man of the sea. I don't know if I'm the best man for this kind of job."

"Come on Nick you should know me better than that," Tetra scolded him, "You should know that I value brains just as much as, if not more than, brawn on my crew and I know you've got plenty of those. I know that I'm the quick thinking strategist captain but as far as raw knowledge goes you've got even more than me. I'm sure that you can handle this."

"Even if that's true it's not only that. I've got a life and family here. It's not easy for me just decided to leave that all behind for good... Please just give me some time to think about this..."

"...I understand..." Tetra quietly agreed as she got up and headed out the door, "Take as much as time as you need. I'll be waiting on my ship for you to either come and set sail or say goodbye."

"Thank you..." Nick bidded her farewell as she left. He began to gaze around his room once she was gone as he contemplated the life changing decision he was now faced with. It was few minutes later though that a pair of voices entered his room interrupting his thoughts.

"Don't tell me that you're actually considering not going," A woman's voice commented.

"After all that time searching for her you can't possibly just say goodbye now and have that be the end of it, "a man's voice added.

"Mom, Dad?" Nick called out, "You were listening?"

"Yes we were," Nick's father confirmed.

"Not only that but we already know about it. We know who your friend really is." Nick's mother stated.

"Did you go through my stuff?" Nick panicked.

"No," Nick's mother denied, "but we were able to guess it based on a few things Quill told us when we got back about what you were doing?"

Nick began to shuffle nervously on his bed.

"I know what you're thinking and don't worry," Nick's father assured him. "For the sake of both your privacies we can keep this a secret from our colleagues. You don't even need to fully explain to us what happened. As historians ourselves we can still try to figure it out on our own. More importantly though we want to say that we strongly believe you need to go with her."

"How can you say that?" Nick exclaimed, "I'm your son! How can you just let me go so easily."

"Yes you are," Nick's mother agreed "but you are also a historian like us. One of the main reasons we all do the research we do is that we can someday do what your friend is about to do. You were the one who went out in search of Princess Zelda and found her. You've truly surpassed us in this regard. You've definitely earned this."

Nick remained silent at his mother's encouraging words.

"Son," Nick's father spoke up, "Ever since you got home you've seemed to be deep in regret about something. Whatever it is don't let it cause you do to something you'll end up regretting your whole life."

These words from his father seemed to finally get through to Nick. He took on a real smile for the first time in days and began to pack up his valuables.

"Thanks Mom. Thanks Dad," Nick hugged his parents as he prepared to leave. He also handed them a folder on his way out.

"So what's this?" his mom asked.

"Some copies of the material I gathered while I was gone. After what happened you'll actually need to be borrowing my research for once," Nick explained.

"I see," Nick's mom noted, "We love and will miss you!"

"I'll love and miss you too!" he called back as he ran out "Goodbye!"

The curious pair immediately opened up the folder to find a pictograph of their son smiling next to a girl that truly appeared to be the sacred Princess of Legend.

"They look so happy..." Nick's mother fawned.

"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll see him again someday!" Nick's father boldly guaranteed.

_-Back on the Pirate Ship-_

"How long are we going to have to wait?" Niko groaned.

"As long as it takes you big baby!" Tetra shouted back at him, "He'll come. I'm sure of it!"

As soon as she said this a familiar voice called out as if on cue.

"Zelda!"

"and there he is now." Tetra noted as she watched Nick dash towards the ship.

"I'm ready to go!" Nick announced as he hastily made his way on board.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Tetra commented, "but I thought you were the first one I told not to call me Zelda."

"If I'm going to be on your ship as the expert on Hyrule then I suppose it's my duty to refer to you by your proper name," Nick responded with a smirk, "Plus I like having another switch of yours to play with."

"Your time here can be easy or hard depending on if you keep going with that attitude," she warned him, "but I really am thrilled that you chose to come with us. Now it's time to embark on a new journey to not only revive Hyrule but to improve ourselves on this adventure. Now get ready everybody!"

The crew quickly took their stations as they were told.

"Now set sail!" Tetra finally announced.

At long last the ship departed on a journey centuries in the making. The Princess had all she could ask for to aid her on this journey. Her Hero, her crew, and now her friend. With a whole world to explore the newly formed crew set off on a voyage to make history, and each did so with the wind at their back and a smile of their face. It was the start of a brand new chapter


	10. Bonus Chap: A Princess and her Swabbies

With the crew finally all together the pirate ship was at last set to sail off into the unknown. A favorable wind pushed the vessel along as the crew members gathered in a circle on the top deck. The veterans of the crew all stood in a circle surrounding the group's three younger members. The blonde haired, tan skinned pirate captain stood in the center with her arms crossed before two other boys her own age. One with blonde hair and dressed in the green Hero's clothes and the other with brown hair in a white button-down shirt. She gave the each careful inspections as they did their best to stand up straight and look presentable.

"And what just what do we have here?" Tetra asked the pair with a smirk.

She first turned to Link who looked like he was starting to strain himself from puffing himself up so much.

"On the left here we've got Mr. Hero Link," Tetra announced to the others drawing some playful snickers, "With no prior sailing experience you're just the type that charges into everything without a second thought, yet somehow he gets every miracle he needs to stay alive and just keeps going until he gets what he needs. Kids like you are good in a pinch and make great story telling material, but are also a major pain overall to have to work with."

Link's pose deflated slightly upon Tetra's somewhat harsh analysis as the other could only shrug with a sigh. He was still more used to this than the young hero was, and he knew what was coming next.

"And then on the right we have the bookworm Nick," Tetra continued while turning her attention to the other boy, "The encyclopedia. If there's a piece of info you need this is just the type of guy you want around to get it. However we're on the high seas now. Not at one of your Hyrule history studies. Brains alone won't be enough to get you by on this ship. You're going to have to learn a thing or two about survival. You can't just go along hoping for everyone else to bail you out if you find yourself in a tight spot. Not only that, but over these past few days you've shown that you aren't completely immune to "heroic" impulses either."

Tetra then turned her back to the pair as they continued to stand in attentive silence

"Quite frankly I don't know which one of you is worse," Tetra added further before turning back around to face them again. This time, though, it was with a soft smile on her face, "However, one way or another, you're both part of this crew now and that means, as your captain, both of your lives are now as important to me as any pile of treasure. You've each got your share of problems like I just mentioned, but you've both got plenty of strong points too and it's now officially my job to find a way to get the most out of them. As much of a nuisance as it sounds like it's going to be part of me is actually looking forward to it. Either way we're crewmates now and I'm happy to have you both along for the ride. Welcome aboard you two."

The crew engaged in a friendly applause as Tetra wrapped up her welcome speech. Link had returned to his usual posture and was now rubbing the back of his head with a blush on his face as Nick simply chuckled and gave another shrug.

"Now listen up!" Tetra ordered to interrupt the cheering, "For the rest of the day I want each of you inspecting everything on the ship to ensure that everything is in top shape for this journey. There's no guarantee we'll be seeing land anytime soon so we can't afford even a single mistake, and as for Link and Nick, you two will be in charge of give this entire ship a good cleaning from top to bottom. As much as you've been through these past few days the fact is our ship's rules still have any new crew members start out as swabbies, and Niko, it'll be up to you to keep an eye on them. Go get them the tools they'll need to get the job done."

"Aye aye Captain!" Niko complied with a salute before heading off into the ship to get the necessary cleaning supplies

"The rest of you know what you're usually in charge of. Now get to work," Tetra concluded before heading off into her own cabin.

The crew split up and went to carry out each of their assignments as they were told until just Link and Nick were left alone on the deck. Link shuffled around nervously taking in his surroundings until he felt somebody tap him on the left shoulder.

"Okay I'm ready..." he turned to his left expecting to find Niko with a sponge. Instead he noticed the strange kid standing next to him with a hand outstretched to him.

"I never got to properly introduce myself to you throughout this mess," Nick offered him a handshake, "The name's Nick. It's a real pleasure to finally get to talk to you."

"Uh yeah sure no problem..." Link shyly accepted the handshake.

"It's lot to explain at this precise moment but I really owe you big for what you've done over the last few days, and I'm talking about more than just saving the world."

"Oh it was nothing..." Link rubbed the back of his head again.

"I really am indebted to you but I'll explain more about it later," Nick finished up after noticing Niko coming back with a three sponges and a bucket.

"Since both of you did so much to help the captain I've decided to help you out for your first day aboard the ship," Niko announced with a friendly grin.

"Wow. Thanks Niko," Link politely accepted before turning back to Nick, "Just how do you know Zel- err Tetra anyway? What did you do that you decided to come along?"

"Relax it was nothing compared to what you've been through," Nick modestly waved him off, "Like I said I'm the one who really owes you. Right now we've got to deal with the work in front of us as much of a pain as it is. We can swap stories later though."

Even with the three of them working together cleaning the whole ship turned out to be pretty much an all day job with the last speck of dirt not being taken care of until the moon was high in the sparkling night sky. Nick and Niko each found themselves having to shake Link awake after he feel asleep a couple times while working. With the day finished Link and Nick joined the rest of the crew minus Tetra in the group sleeping cabin.

"Okay!" Gonzo announced to his crewmates who were each preparing to call it a day in their beds. "The only thing left is to decide who's going to take care of lookout duty for the night. As a warning for the new guys the sun going down doesn't mean you're safe in the least in this life. You have to be ready to jump into battle at any moment. So who wants to go up there tonight?"

"I'll do it!" Link suddenly shot up his hand up with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.

"So the new guy thinks he's up for it on his first day. How interesting," Senza remarked.

"If he's going then I'll go too," Nick suddenly added in, "With rookies two heads are probably better than one."

"If it means a full night of sleep for the rest of us I guess I can't complain," Nudge chimed to the approving nods of the other pirates.

"Well then I guess you're both up then," Gonzo agreed, "Good luck."

Link quickly exited the room to take his lookout position in the deck as Nick followed behind him. The quickly climbed the rope ladder up the mast to take seats on opposing sides of the Crow's Nest.

"So what's on your mind?" Link curiously asked the boy sitting across from him, "Why'd you feel the need to volunteer alongside me?"

"I thought it'd be a good chance to get to know each other since we're essentially going to be living together from now on," Nick politely replied, "Plus I've already seen you're habit of falling asleep on the job firsthand."

"I guess you're right about that one," Link laughed nervously.

"So why were you so anxious to take this job yourself?" Nick questioned him.

"I guess I wanted some thinking time alone. A chance to enjoy the nighttime scenery."

"What were you thinking about?"

"My family. I've got a sister and my grandma back home. I started my adventure with the intent of saving her from Ganon, yet before I knew it I got pulled into this crazy tale of heroes, castles, and princesses."

"Speaking of which why don't you go and tell exactly how things happened for you"

Link complied and told the Nick the story of his journey from his twelfth birthday party to his final departure from Outset Island.

"The Hero of Winds huh?" Nick noted, "hmmm... Catchy, I like it."

"Well thanks," Link politely accepted the compliment, "I guess I could get used to the title."

"Leaving your family like that definitely isn't an easy decision," Nick added, "I can relate. For all you know that could end up being the last time you see them."

"Indeed it is," Link agreed, "Really tough for me. Speaking of which I think it's only fair for you to take your turn to tell your story now. Just what compelled you to make the tough decision to leave home like I did."

"Fine. It is only fair, but can you keep a secret?"

"A secret?"

"Some of the stuff I'm about to tell you would probably get Tetra upset if she knew I told you, but after all you did for not only her but Princess Zelda I think you have the right to know."

"Okay, my lips are sealed." Link promised.

Nick went on to tell the story of not only his search for Princess Zelda, but the events that led to him becoming best friends with the pirate girl known as Tetra and the kind-hearted young lady that existed below her scruff exterior.

"That really is something else," Link noted in light laugh, "Talk about irony. I guess it really is true what they say. The best place to hide something from someone is right under their nose."

"Well thanks..." Nick replied awkwardly unsure whether to take Link's remark as a compliment or unintentional insult, "Really though I need to thank you for showing her up and getting her out of Ganondorf's hands. Tetra was right. I can't go on relying on somebody else having to fight my battles. I really should've found a way to at least put up some resistance. I really owe you a ton for cleaning up after my mess."

"You didn't have to hide from me though," Link continued, "I wouldn't have found you to be all that suspicious."

"Well thanks again."

"On another note though I guess I do need to thank you as well,"

"No you don't. The Light Arrows were nothing. That was all Tetra's hard work that created those. I just read her a few spare notes."

"I don't think so Nick," Link disagreed with him, "but that wasn't what I had in mind."

"Then what?" Nick inquired.

Link paused for a moment with a solemn expression as if he was wrestling with some guilt himself.

"...I really shouldn't have just left her all alone like that," Link finally admitted.

"Don't get torn up about that. I know now that it wasn't your idea. You really didn't have a choice in the matter at the time."

"I know but I still should've said something. I should've known that it just wasn't right to abandon someone after lumping so much on them."

"You couldn't have known just how torn up she'd be over this. You didn't know anything about her personal history or her true feelings."

"Yeah, but I should've sensed it. In fact I think I could already sense it and just did what I could to ignore it. Her eyes when I bid her that final farewell in Hyrule Castle just weren't right. Sure, she treated my like garbage when we first met, but as she gave me what I needed to get to Jabun, got my sister home for free from Forsaken Fortress, and even came back to help me take on Ganondorf I could tell there was more to her than she let on to most people. I should've taken her with me and vowed to protect her from Ganondorf with my life. Instead I left her behind to fend for herself against all that pain. That was my mess that you wound having to clean up. Thanks for being there."

"I was just doing my job as a friend and historian. It was no trouble at all. I suppose Tetra was right about you after all."

"What do you mean?"

"You are a bit too rash. If you would've taken her with you all it would've done is gotten you killed by Ganondorf's hand. In the end I suppose all three of us learned what it feels like to be powerless. It sucks."

"Yeah."

"But then again... In the end we each managed to be where we were needed when we were needed. When one of us wasn't available the other showed up to finish the job, and I think that's what we're going to need to do if we're going to make it through this journey. In the end I suppose we can just shake on it and be grateful that we have each other to count on. No point in having regrets."

"Sure thing pal," Link smiled giving another handshake to Nick.

"While we were down there though she was thinking about you a lot. It was a lot of her inspiration in drawing out the power she needed to help you take Ganon down."

"Really?" Link asked with a furious blush.

"Yeah but she was really embarrassed when I forced her to admit it. I think she might really like you man."

"Well thanks..."

The duo remained silent for a few seconds after this as Nick took on a smirk.

"You like her too don't you?" Nick questioned mischievously.

"Well of course. She's one of my best friends," Link answered innocently.

"Come on Link. Drop the innocent routine. I mean do you _like_ her? Get it?"

"Oh..." Link murmured as his face once again took on a shade of red, "OH! No! I mean not like that! I mean I don't know!"

"You're just as bad a liar on this subject as she is. Come on. Just admit it. The Hero and his Princess in a perfect fairy-tale ending."

"and what about you?" Link fired back attempting to turn the situation back on Nick, "You're the one who had all that alone time with her in the castle. I'm sure you're think of making a move as well."

"I've known Tetra since I was a toddler and had been searching Princess Zelda for nearly as long," Nick calmly answered, "I take pride in my work. To find Zelda and then use it as an opportunity to date her would be terribly unprofessional."

"Of course you are," Link replied sarcastically.

"Then again who really knows what'll happen on this ship," Nick continued in a smug voice, "Maybe I will try asking her out after enough time on here."

"No!" Link suddenly panicked prompting Nick to start laughing.

"I knew it," Nick announced in victory, "Relax buddy. You don't have to worry about me. I'll let you take as much time as you feel you need. There is one thing we both have to admit to though."

"And what's that?"

"There is definitely something about that girl. Whether it's the pirate Tetra or Princess Zelda the two of us, probably the two guys on the ship closest to being what you'd call normal, both felt compelled to drop our lives just for the chance to sail the world under her."

Link could only nod his head in agreement.

"Just what is it though. Why do we sail? Friendship? Love? Knowledge? Family? Power? Money? I suppose each of us is going to have to come up with an answer before this is over."

Thinking over the other boy's powerful questions Link began to feel some courage. The type of which he hadn't felt since he had finally defeated Ganondorf. He worked himself to give an answer.

"I-" Link began before suddenly stopping when he noticed a gigantic structure off in the distance where the ship was headed.

"Take a look at that!" Nick exclaimed, "It's that tower that led to Hyrule!"

"From personal experience I can tell you that it really is something else to have to go all the way up it from the inside."

"Interesting to know."

The two continued to stare at it as it grew larger and larger on the nighttime horizon when their attention was suddenly shifted when they heard a door opening back down on the ship's deck.

"I wonder who's up for a late night stroll?" Link whispered to Nick.

"Or probably just a toilet break," Nick whispered back getting a few snickers.

They were both taken by surprise when it turned out to be a fully dressed Tetra emerging from the ship's interior.

"What's she up to at this time of night?" Link asked quietly, "and what does she have in her hands?"

Nick leaned slightly over the edge of the crow's nest to get a better look.

"It appears to be some find of flower and... the Ocarina of Time?"

"Ocarina of Time?" Link repeated.

"It's a mystical flute that was once a major tool for the legendary Hero of Time himself," Nick explained, "but just what is she planning to do with it here?"

The pair continued to watch in curious silence as Tetra made her way to the left side of the ship. Their eyes were tightly locked onto the blonde girl below them. She wasn't showing any signs of crying, but her face was one of solemn sadness as if she was in mourning. Her eyes quickly took a stern focus on the Tower of the Gods that the ship was now passing by. After a few seconds she gently dropped the flower into the water. It fell gently into the sea as the young pirate then clasped her hands together as if in prayer.

"What in the world is she doing?" Link whispered to Nick confused.

"I'm really not sure," Nick replied just as confused, "I'm far from an expert on this subject but it's almost as if she's performing a burial at seal. But for what?"

They continued to watch in silent awe as each tried to piece together the not only strange but out of character ritual taking place before them. Link continued to watch Tetra's odd, prayer-like pose as Nick's focus moved back to the Tower of the Gods that she seemed to be concentrating on. As she then lifted the ocarina to her lips the clues were suddenly beginning to pile up in Nick's mind.

"Could she actually be..." Nick began to contemplate to himself before being pulled out of his thoughts by the incredibly moving notes that were now pouring out of the magical instrument being played by the pirate princess.

"I've never heard this song before," Link noted, "but it's so... beautiful, touching, yet also tragic."

It only took a few seconds for Nick to recognize the familiar melody that was being played for them.

"Yep," Nick confirmed, "It's Zelda's Lullaby?"

"And what's this now?" Link asked him again, "I guess I should do some research myself."

"Don't worry about," Nick comforted him, "The song she's playing is an ancient melody passed down in the Royal Family of Hyrule. It was used a sign of connection to the royal family, but for all Tetra didn't know about her heritage it still managed to survive within the family until today as a lullaby. With this though I think I finally figured out what she's doing."

"What is it?" Link questioned anxiously, "Don't leave me in suspense."

"I think she's..." Nick began to explain before bring his sentence to a screeching halt when his gaze nonchalantly shifter back to Tetra, "No way..."

"No way?" Link repeated unsure of what he meant.

"Just look!" Nick instructed Link to which he obliged. With one glance he came to understand what Nick was talking about.

As Tetra continued to play her family's signature song a faint glow began to envelop her body. With each note she let out it only seemed to get stronger and stronger with each glow. A few more seconds it soon became bright enough to shield entire body from view before bathing the entire ship in its glowing with a single blinding flash.

"What just happened?" Link groaned as he was shielding his eyes after being caught off guard by the flash.

"I don't know" Nick answered as he pulled himself back together and leaned back over the side to see just what happened to Tetra. He and Link found themselves greeted by a now familiar but still shocking and awe-inspiring sight.

With a beautiful, pink dress, long, white gloves, soft face, and flowing golden hair Princess Zelda had suddenly returned.

Link sat with back with his jaw agape and face red as Nick hunched himself further over the side the crow's nest with his eyes wide as they watched her begin to take in her transformation with what seemed to be just as much surprise as them.

"Incredible..." Link whispered to himself.

"What in the world?" Nick wondered to himself continuing to lean even further in shock, "How did that happe-WHOA!"

Nick suddenly found himself tumbling down to the deck with a thump as he lost his balance and was forced to grab onto the rope ladder to slow his fall. Link hurried down the ladder himself to help his new friend as Tetra whipped her head around clearly startled by the noise.

"Who's there?" she exclaimed in surprise.

"I think we're the ones who should be asking you that Princess Zelda," Nick replied with a weak chuckle as Link helped him off the floor.

"Tetra er- Zelda..." Link stammered, "You're a princess again!... I mean not that you ever weren't a princess but..."

"I know what you mean Link," Tetra assured him.

"But how?" Link continued, "I mean what were you doing up here?"

"I didn't plan on this happening!" she explained, "It's just as I was playing that song I suddenly felt some strange power coming up from inside me and I just went with it and this is what happened. As for what I was doing up here I was just... uh... well I was..."

"Paying your final respects to Hyrule?" Nick finished for her still rubbing his injuries.

"...Yeah," she confessed after a pause, "I just wanted a few moments alone to give it a proper farewell. It was still my kingdom, and I was a bit sad to see it go."

"I understand," Link smiled to her, "It really looked like it was an incredible place."

"Still I didn't want to turn into this," Tetra added, "I'm just not being ready to go back to being Zelda... yet."

"It really seems there's a lot more to Princess Zelda than the Triforce of Wisdom and what my research would indicate," Nick noted, "If I had to guess this will be temporary since it was last time too, but it's clear my studies are far from complete."

"Okay," Tetra sighed in relief, "You usually know what you're talking about on this stuff. I'll trust you on this."

"More than that though," Nick continued, "You definitely seem to be more torn up about this than I would've thought Tetra. Even with what you said back at my house I never imagined I'd being seeing Princess Zelda again so soon let alone all of this."

Nick then turned back to Link

"It's like I said earlier," he went on, "We each need to truly figure out why we're here. Just where we want to go and why we want to do it. If I had to answer right now I think it would be this. After finding what I had been looking for for so long I think this is now my chance to take it even further to see it to the absolute end that people have been waiting for with the return of the Kingdom of Hyrule. Not only that but with my closest friend heading up the journey I have to keep my word that I gave to her years ago to be ready whenever she might need me for whatever reason. I simply have too many promises to keep to even think about staying behind or failing."

Nick and Tetra exchanged friendly smiles as Nick finished up his explanation.

"So tell me Princess," he then added further, "Do you think you have yours figured out?"

She paused for a moment to think it over.

"I think I do," she then announced.

"Then let's hear it," Nick encouraged her as Link gazed at her with anticipation.

"I want to establish the best future I possibly can for those I care about most. Yes the the King's wish is still very important to me hence why I felt the need to give him my own private sendoff, but I think there's something else I want more. As much as we are crewmates since I was little this crew has been the only family I've really had. Link, Nick, since you agreed to come with me I now consider you part of the family too. For all those who once placed their faith in the Princesses before me and for those who place their faith in me now I want to do everything I can to give you all the life and home I truly feel you all deserve. It's the very least I can do."

"A vow truly worthy of Princess Zelda herself," Nick nodded again before once again turning back to Link, "and then there was one. The legends of old always told how the hero vanished after defeating the Evil King. As we can plainly see that isn't the case with you. As such I'm curious to see what you've come up with to truly separate yourself from the Hero of Time. You were about to say it to me earlier. Let's hear it."

Link tried to get himself to speak as the other two pirates waited patiently. Though Link did indeed have his answer still on his mind having Tetra in the audience now seemed to have caused him to lose his nerve. He began to blush in tremble as he tried to talk.

"It appears he's really feeling the pressure," Nick noted with a laugh, "Or perhaps he's just nervous about speaking in front of his sweetheart."

"Would you stop that already?" Tetra scolded Nick before placing a reassuring and on Link's shoulder, "Come on. You can say it."

"I... I..." Link began to stammer, "I guess I really... want to be at your side Tetra..."

An awkward silence fell over the trio as Link and Tetra shuffled in embarrassment as Nick took on another smirk

"There we go. Now we're getting somewhere," Nick declared triumphantly only to get slapped in the face by Tetra.

"I told you to stop it!" Tetra snapped at the still chuckling Nick before signalling Link to go on.

"Well you see I guess I've really come to admire you," Link continued, "I mean I've only known you for a few days and yet you've already done do much for me. You helped me find Jabun, you saved my sister, and even after all Nick here told me you still found the time to think about me and help me out against Ganon. Despite all the responsibility that's been placed on you through all this you actually decided to follow through on your promise to the King and so many people you've never even met when you probably could've easily just carried on with your life as if nothing happened. I just can't help but feel drawn to take this journey with you just in case you ever need me. I just... want to see you succeed Tetra."

As Link continued his speech Tetra's expression soon changed to nearly match his, blush and all. With each word the two became more and more transfixed with each others. They gradually stepped closer and closer to one another until their faces were mere inches apart. Afterwards all they could do was stare at each other in silence. Each feeling to flustered and confused to really know what to do next until a familiar voice once again took it upon itself to shatter the moment.

"Fairy-tale ending! Fairy-tale ending!" Nick began to chant as he now appeared to be shuffling around his pockets looking for something.

"For the love of Nayru what will it take to make you stop?" Tetra yelled at Nick with a punch to the back of the head.

"Fairy-tale ending," Nick repeated again with a grin.

Tetra took a look at Link who need had his hung in what seemed to be disappointment. Feeling somewhat sorry knowing what he was probably expecting she placed a comforting arm around him.

"Don't let him bother you Link," she consoled him, "He's just joking around."

"Maybe, but that doesn't change how obvious it is that both of you want," Nick quickly responded.

Taking one more look at the still depressed Link Tetra let out a sigh. With all that was going on it was becoming harder and harder for her to deny that the urge was creeping up on her if at least partly because of her desire to cheer up Link and shut up Nick. Looking up into the sky and back to her dress she figured that there probably weren't going to be much better chances to do it on this crowded ship.

"If I do it will you stop making cracks about it?" Tetra questioned

"I promise. At this point I see it as inevitable even if I say nothing," Nick agreed.

"Then come here Link," she cooed to the young hero turning to him and placing both of her hands on his shoulders. He lifted his head up slightly only to be completely taken by surprise as she wrapped her gloved arms around him in an instant and buried her face into his.

Link could only stand wide eyed as the princess crushed her lips against his own. Even Nick was left speechless as he watched Tetra close her eyes as she became fully comfortable in the embrace. It was even as if the Great Sea itself couldn't believe what was going on as the winds seemed to pick up in that moment. Link eventually relaxed in the kiss as she held him tight for upwards of a minute before releasing him. Link could only stand in a lulled daze in disbelief of what just happened to him.

"Happy now?" Tetra turned to ask Nick who was still absolutely speechless at what he just witnessed. For two whole minutes the only sound that could be heard was the wind continuing whip its way around until a voice finally came out.

"AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Nick finally burst into explosive laughter

"Yeah har-har. Just get it all out. I still don't see what the big deal is." Tetra sighed

"Are you kidding?" Nick continued to explode, "When I said fairy-tale ending I meant something like that kiss of the check you gave me or a peck on the lips at most. You went full wedding day on the kid. Don't even try and tell me you didn't enjoy it!"

Tetra's face was now as red as it had ever been at any point in her entire life.

"I was just doing it to ensure it was good enough for you!" she snapped

"You mean good enough for _you_," Nick laughed back.

"Whatever! Just don't count on ever seeing me do that again!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that."

"What?"

"Never mind. Don't worry about it. Just savor the moment!"

"The only thing I'm going to savor is your punishment when morning comes! Now go back to your bed and get to sleep!"

"Aye Aye Captain," Nick complied with a playful salute as he headed in, "Good night and congrats!"

Nick waited until he was out of sight inside the ship to pull what appeared to be a miniature pictobox out of his shirt sleeve. He opened it up to take out a pair of pictographs of the Hero of Winds and Princess Zelda locked in their embrace

"It's good thing I stopped by Lenzo's place before hopping on board," Nick grinned to himself looking them over, "This smaller model may only be good for two pictures but two is definitely all I need! One as a keepsake and for future pranks. Maybe I'm a better pirate than I thought I'd be."

He then hopped into his bed gleefully and went to sleep as satisfied as he had been in a long time. Meanwhile Tetra and Link were finally left to themselves on the ship's deck.

"Link just turn in for the night," Tetra instructed him, "I'll take care of the rest of the night shift on lookout."

"Oh thanks." Link finally snapped out of his daze though still clearly flustered

"Don't let him get to you. He's just a terrible fool."

"No I don't mind," Link assured her, "He's just the kind of guy I'd expect you to want to have along. A bit crazy but well meaning deep down. I don't mind him but it's just... "

"But what?"

"It's just well..." he paused again working up his courage.

"Just what?"

"It's just that... YOUKISSNICE..."

Left wondering if her face would turn permanently red from blushing so much in one night Tetra could only squeak out, "What?"

"...You kiss nice," Link worked up the courage to repeat, "...I... I liked it. I wouldn't mind if we could do it again another day."

The two stared at each other for a few moments wondering if the other was feeling as embarrassed as they were. In fact neither could even recall a more embarrassing moment in their entire lives.

"Well thanks..." Tetra smiled quietly, "I did... kinda like it too... Well... Good night Link..."

"You too... Princess," he called back before heading down into the ship himself.

All alone now Tetra managed to work up what energy she had left to get herself up into the crow's nest . The dress that still hadn't disappeared made it somewhat more difficult than it would've normally been for her. Upon reaching the top she simply slumped her back against the side of the nest with the day's events running though her head.

"I thought the six I already had were bad enough, but those two might really be the death of me," she laughed to herself.

Thinking about all that had happened in one mere night and then letting her thoughts shift to all that lie ahead for them terrified her, and yet she had never been more excited for anything in her entire life.

THE END

Reviews are appreciated especially since I plan to do even more with these three

Sequel up: s/8374623/1/The_Festival_of_the_Golden_Land


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